Grassroots Growth in Supporting Ukrainians
Sun, Oct 22
|Kitchener
Grassroots is inviting service clubs, churches, employers, municipalities and service organizations to meet to discuss opportunities in working together to expand support for Ukrainians in Ontario
Time & Location
Oct 22, 2023, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Kitchener, 54 Benton St, Kitchener, ON N2G 3H2, Canada
About the event
Supporting Ukrainian Refugees: A Call to Action by Grassroots
The situation in Ukraine has left countless lives in disarray. While many grassroots organizations, including passionate individuals, have stepped up to offer respite, there's more work ahead of us.
Immediate Action Needed: With Canada's visa deadline for Ukrainians approaching on March 31st, we foresee a considerable number of Ukrainian refugees seeking shelter in Canada in the upcoming five months. To accommodate this, it's imperative that we bolster our facilities and resources promptly.
Our Journey So Far: In just 18 months, the Waterloo Region Grassroots has made significant strides:
- Over 800 dedicated volunteers.
- 200 hosts have opened their doors to one or more families.
- Launched 7 transitional housing facilities that have assisted over 100 families/individuals
- Assisted over 1,000 families in diverse capacities, from deciding on relocating to Ontario, to facilitating translations, transportation, employment assistance, paperwork, donations, and more.
Our Vision: Our aim is to broaden our horizons by establishing a province-wide network of communities to counteract this impending refugee crisis. We're scouting for communities eager to accommodate Ukrainian newcomers, ensuring they have the infrastructure to support housing, employment, and holistic well-being.
How We Can Assist: Grassroots is geared to:
- Connect communities with Ukrainian newcomers
- Help find hosts and rentals.
- Recruit volunteers.
- Partner with employers ready to hire.
- Offer toolkits and resources, validated by prior successes.
- Facilitate interactions between volunteers, hosts, and Ukrainians for enhanced support.
Our commitment to cultural understanding is evident, with recent hires of Ukrainian newcomers to reinforce our volunteer team.
Get Involved: If our mission resonates with you and you're keen on building robust support systems for Ukrainians in your community, we invite you to a crucial meeting. Please RSVP to confirm your attendance. Given the pressing timeline and the gravitas of the situation, we request only those genuinely committed to dedicating their time and resources to register.