WEYBURN – A family of seven from Ukraine is on their way to Weyburn, and local volunteers are making arrangements to help them start a new life in Canada.
The Sunflower Network, an organization dedicated to helping refugees from Ukraine to find suitable communities in Saskatchewan to come live in, contacted local organizer Darcy McCormick, and he has put the word out to various organizations for any assistance that can be given to help the Dmytryshyn family.
He noted they are on a humanitarian flight out of Warsaw, Poland, and will arrive in Edmonton today, Aug. 10, before boarding a flight into Regina. They may have to quarantine for two weeks, depending on federal government requirements, before they can make their way to Weyburn.
The family is comprised of husband Vasyl, age 42; mother Tetiana, age 41; two older sons, Oleh and Vitalii, aged 22 and 18; a daughter, Zlata, aged four, and son Vladyslav, age two, along with a grandmother, Mariia, age 72. The grandmother had a visa delay, and so will be on the next flight out of Warsaw.
“All they have asked for is a safe place that they can all stay together in for at least a year, and an opportunity to work so they can prove themselves worthy to be in our community,” said McCormick.
In conversations he has had with Tetiana, the family had to leave their home in Novyi Rozdil, a city located south of Lviv, on the second day of the invasion by Russia, which also happened to be their daughter’s fourth birthday.
He has arranged for a home they can rent, and is arranging for a vehicle through Barber Motors suitable for a family of seven.
The Southeast Newcomer Services has been contacted to help the family with such things as resumes and translating documents into English, and to identify what skills they have for jobs. They will also assist with getting health cards, Social Insurance numbers, and medical appointments and vaccinations.
From what he has learned, McCormick said Vasyl is a truck driver and equipment operator, while Tetiana is a trained hairdresser. He is able to guarantee Vasyl a job once he’s here, and will provide work for the two older sons, but hasn’t yet found work for Tetiana.
The local group of volunteers is not looking for any donations of food, furniture or clothing for the family. Blue Earth was able to provide furniture for their home, and otherwise they are looking for financial aid for the family.
“The biggest item that we need for the Dmytryshyn family is financial support. This family will need enough money to help cover their living costs for at least three months, and likely a bit longer, to get their bearings and help hold them over until we can get them the federal aid that is offered for each adult and child,” said McCormick.
He is suggesting gift cards for grocery stores, for gas, and for clothing stores might be best, which would be practical for them to use and allow them to make their own choices for food and clothing.
“We have set up a trust account for the Dmytryshyn family (at Weyburn Credit Union), and if anyone wishes to donate to help support this family, they can send an e-transfer to [email protected] or drop a check off at Jerry Mainil Limited made out to the ‘Dmytryshyn Trust’. We will make sure that all of these donations goes towards helping this family settle into Weyburn,” said McCormick.
He also noted that the Sunflower Network is a registered charity, so anyone making a donation to them can receive a tax receipt.
