OCEAN CITY, Md.- Some businesses tell WBOC they are worried about their former employees from the J1 program who are now living in Ukraine. Brianna Ladams, general manager of Ropewalk in Ocean city says former coworkers from Ukraine became more than colleagues.
“A lot of them we’ve made friends with we’ve gone out with them we’ve drank with them I’ve talked with them they are great people and they do not deserve what is going on,” said Ladams. "It is a tragedy what’s going on in Ukraine right now and we are very upset.”
Jim Mattingly, general manager of The Bayside Skillet in Ocean City says he has reached out to former employees he knows are in Ukraine right now.
“It’s terrible. I've communicated with some Ukrainian kids, well they are not kids anymore, that have worked here over the years I feel for them,” said Mattingly. “We’ve had some wonderful personalities worked the front door just charming, great people.”
Ladams says students from Ukraine are some of the hardest working employee's they have seen.
“They are awesome. A majority of them worked in our kitchen and they worked very hard, they worked long hours and they worked in that sweaty kitchen all day and night. We love when they come over and help us out,” said Ladam. “They work harder than most people we can find”.
Mattingly says he has hired J1 students from numerous countries over the years. Mattingly says people from Ukraine just want freedom.
“They are just like you and me, they just wanna work they just wanna live. It’s a terrible situation,” said Mattingly.
Ocean City will host a vigil for Ukraine Tuesday night at 6:00 at the Inlet at Boardwalk near the Life Saving Station Museum.