Sir Rod Stewart is stepping up in a big way for a Ukrainian family that fled its war-torn country — not only is he providing the family of seven with a fully-furnished home, he's footing all their bills for a year.
The Mirror said the family, which includes five children, abandoned their previous home in Ukraine and eventually ended up in Berkshire in South East England. Upon getting to the United Kingdom, the suddenly-vagabond family was not without its challenges, as they had no money or shelter and didn't speak English.
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Rod was put in touch with the family and decided to fund them for a year as they settle into new lives in the three-story red-brick townhouse.
In detailing his first meeting with the family, Rod told The Mirror, "I walked through the door and they all came running down the stairs, all beautifully dressed in Ukrainian national costume. It was so lovely that they all made that effort. They made me a cup of tea and we had loads of biscuits and chocolates, although the baby kept nicking all of mine. It really was wonderful."
Rod, 77, wanted to do something to help the people of Ukraine from the moment Russia invaded, and he knew he was in a position to do just that considering his sizable net worth.
"Words couldn't describe what we were watching," he said of the news coverage of the initial attack. "The bombing of innocent children, the bombing of hospitals and playgrounds. Like everyone else, we were completely beside ourselves. I don't wish that one anyone. This is evil, pure evil."
David Fisher/Shutterstock
The "Hot Legs" singer equated the images he was seeing the those of World War II. The only difference was that the new images were in color, whereas WWII images were in black-and-white.
"I was born just after the war so my family have lots of memories of it. That's how devastating it was to me. I didn't think we would see the likes of land war with tanks again," he said.
He continued, "Me and my nephew Warren thought we had better do something – it was his idea. He said, 'Listen, let's get some trucks together, fill them up with supplies and whatever they need.' So we got three trucks and a team drove up all the way to Ukraine. It took them a weekend. They got all the way to the border and took 16 refugees back to Berlin for safety."
Rod didn't go on the trip, as he was advised against it, likely due to his age.
The family that Rod is funding was not among the 16 that were rescued.
"They are such a lovely little family and so polite too. None of them speak English but they have such wonderful manners, especially the teenagers," Rod said. He then joked, "I don't know what they are like when I'm not here though."
He also joked that he's making sure they know who he is.
"I think they had been briefed before they met me as to who I was – and they certainly know who I am now, since I left about 500 CDs for them," he said.
Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock
The iconic singer's generosity didn't stop with the family's free home or the aforementioned mercy mission to Ukraine either — He's also hired two Ukrainian refugees to work at his sprawling Essex estate.
"They are all very grateful," Sir Rod said. "And it just makes me want to do more. I am thinking of getting another house now and getting a lot more people over."
Although his noble actions regarding the Ukrainian people are certainly worthy of praise, Rod wasn't sure if he wanted to make them public.
"I usually keep all my charitable efforts nice and quiet and just do it. But I thought, 'I am a knight, I have been given this knighthood because of the things I've achieved in my life and the charity work I've done over the years,'" he said. "But that was the past. I want to be seen to be doing something now. I am a knight, I should be using my power to do something for people. I am sure that if there are people out there who see what I am doing, they will pick up some slack too."
