SAN DIEGO — About a hundred Ukrainian refugees and community members gathered for a Mother’s Day event at Coronado Shores Beach Club Sunday to show of love and support for mothers.

The event was filled with entertainment, food and games. It also helped make a significant difference in the lives of single mothers and families new to the area.

Svitlana Dsebko, one of the refugees at the event Sunday, told FOX 5 that this year’s holiday is a special one for her family.

Dsebko and her boys left everything they knew behind in Ukraine, their home country, amid the war with Russia. Last July, they moved to San Diego without knowing anyone.

“It was difficult it was challenging, and I think during the first two months I even remember anything,” said Dsebko.

She said meeting new people and getting support from the local Ukrainian community got her through tough times.

That’s why on Mother’s Day, Slavic Refugee and Immigrant Services organized a get together.

“It’s going to be the first Mother’s Day for Ukrainians who came here to San Diego,” the non-profit’s founder, Krystsina Shchelkunova, said. “I would like them to make friends, build a community, build new relationships in San Diego so they feel safe here and stable.”

Men are not allowed to leave Ukraine, Shchelkunova explained, so she put on a celebration in honor of the single mothers and families here.

The event offered a sense of togetherness for those that endured a time of turmoil, all while creating lasting memories on a special Mother’s Day.

“Events like this make us feel together and make me personally that I’m not alone,” said Dsebko. “It helps you to feel like you’re getting back to a normal life, or something close to normal.”