About Us — Ukrainian Habitat Fund

The Ukrainian Habitat Fund (UHF) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded to provide housing and support services for Ukrainians coming to the United States seeking refuge due to the ongoing full-scale war.

The Fund enables access to safe and affordable housing for displaced families and works with a network of partners to provide mental health support, education, and job opportunities.

UHF also provides housing for wounded Ukrainian heroes and civilians who arrived to the United States to receive prosthetics, rehabilitation, and additional medical care.

We aspire to provide the critical support that will allow for healing and a successful future to Ukrainians in their time of greatest need.

Meet the Board

ROBERT PERL

Co-President
Robert is an entrepreneur and a Lower East Side community member since 1988. Currently he is President of Tower Brokerage, and board president of Howl Arts Inc. Robert is also a board member of Rosie’s Theater Kids.
TOM BIRCHARD

Co-President
Tom is an owner of Veselka since 1975, a Ukrainian restaurant located in the heart of East Village. He was born in Williamsburg, PA and grew up in Pennsauken, NJ. Tom attended Rutgers University, graduating in 1969 with a degree in business administration. He is also an author of “The Veselka Cookbook”.
LIDIYA OROS

Co-Founder, Vice President
Born and raised in the Carpathian region of Western Ukraine, Lidiya moved to the United States in 2000. She is the Co-Founder of Oros Team Real Estate (under CCR) specializing in real estate investment, portfolio management, leasing, and sales since 2010. In 2015, alongside her sister Gabriella as a duet, she became a Nationally awarded Ukrainian singer who represented Ukraine in various concerts, competitions, and festivals across Europe.
GABRIELLA OROS

Co-Founder, Vice President
Born and raised in the Carpathian region of Western Ukraine, Gabriella moved to the United States in 2000. She is the Co-Founder of Oros Team Real Estate (under CCR ) specializing in real estate investment, portfolio management, leasing, and sales since 2010. In 2015, alongside her sister Lidiya as a duet, she became a Nationally awarded Ukrainian singer who represented Ukraine in various concerts, competitions, and festivals across Europe.
Kate Kalmykov

Legal Counsel
Kate Co-Chairs the Immigration & Compliance Practice at Greenberg Traurig. She focuses her practice on business immigration and compliance.
JASON BIRCHARD

New York City-raised and a graduate of SUNY Albany, Jason has been working at Veselka since he was a teenager. Upon graduation in 1989, he was instrumental in opening Veselka up to 24 hours in 1991. In 2000 he stepped into the role of handling daily operations. Today he continues to oversee all aspects and is always searching for new ventures to expose Veselka.