Be an influencer for WRGR

Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis is looking for people in our community who feel that they have an extensive network of contacts in the community and who want to leverage it for good.

Ukrainian families coming into Canada are not refugees and do not receive the same government support. They do not get support with housing or food and only receive a one time amount of $3,000 per adult and $1,400 per child.

We do not need to know who your contacts are and we will not expect you to reach out to anyone. We simply ask you to connect with your contacts when you feel the situation is right.

What we ask of you

(You can help with 1 or more of these ways)

1. to check the list of Ukrainian families arriving and if you happen to know a potential host that you reach out to your connect to see if they would be interested in talking to us to learn more about hosting.
2. If you know a landlord ask them if they would be open to renting to Ukrainians even though they will not have a credit history, most will not have a job when they arrive, and many speak limited English.
3. to connect with businesses you know to see if they would be willing to accept resumes from Ukrainians still overseas or who have just arrived and who may not have the level of English they would typically hire for, and be able to adapt to this.
4. to connect with businesses you know to see if they would hire multiple Ukrainians who may not be skilled in the area of work nor speak the level of English they usually expect.
5. we are financially supporting the housing of Ukrainians through donations and are currently now helping to operate a 12-bedroom facility. We need to raise at least $8,000 a month. If you know of people that can sponsor families, rooms, events, or other fundraising ideas we would love to hear.

*** These problems exist because there are gaps in our system. We have yet to find organizations or service providers that can help in these ways. This means many Ukrainians can not find shelter or employment.

As part of this team you will receive

1. a link that shows, in real-time, the families scheduled to arrive in Waterloo Region who do not have a place to live.
2. regular updates on the number of people we have helped, the kits we have created, and the requests for help from the families that we are struggling to find local support.
3. if you are interested, your name and picture on our website in recognition of the support you are offering to our group.
4. the never-ending gratitude from the families and our community for your support; helping to ensure that Ukrainians in our Region do not become homeless after fleeing the war in Ukraine

You are invited to share this invitation with others you know.