'Just Accepted': A Volunteer Finds Profound Calm After Surviving a Bomb Scare and Odesa's Drone Attacks

At 71, many Canadians settle into predictable routines, but Waterloo Region retiree and Wilmot volunteer, Joe O’Hara has chosen a different path: continuous, hands-on aid for Ukrainians. Having volunteered for nine years in his retirement—including three with Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis—Joe has now travelled to Europe for the third consecutive year. This year, he has travelled to the historic, war-battered port city of Odesa, bringing his quiet dedication to a community that desperately needs it. 

But Joe's journey barely started before the reality of the region set in. Landing in Moldova, his flight was immediately held up. Joe and the other passengers received news: the airport had been evacuated due to a bomb threat—an incident local news confirmed had happened repeatedly in the region.

Joe messaged, "I'm in Moldova but they are not allowing anyone off the planes because of some security issue," The reason? A bomb threat had evacuated the entire airport.

Joe found himself struck by the composure of his fellow passengers. "People on the plane here are so chill," he noted. "No tempers flaring or shouting. Just accepted." It was later determined the bomb threat was false. 

While waiting on the tarmac Joe spoke with people on the flight. A women from Odessa chatted with him nonstop and it helped to keep the time passing. "She was super friendly and helpful". She was from Chisinau. She told him that her own family gotten a second apartment so that they could give their first one to a displaced Ukrainian family.

The security scare meant a missed bus and not being in before the midnight curfew. He was extremely grateful that the bus terminal still honored his late ticket into Odessa.

While munching on his late meal of granola bars it was at this time that he noticed all of the street lights were off. The city was under an air raid alert. Joe

Stepping off the bus and finally into Ukraine, Joe faced the new reality living in a city constant under threat. With less than 12 hours after arriving he began to see and feel the life many Ukrainians live. The underlying danger was underscored that very night with an air raid alert.

For the last few years Odesa has been a consistent target for missiles and drones, which have again have have caused damage to energy and port infrastructure, resulting in power outages.

Yet, even in the shadow of war, life insists on carrying on. Joe's first dinner—Teriyaki chicken with potatoes and mushrooms—was "super delicious". The young waiter at the restaurant easily struck up a conversation with Joe, commenting that he had a brother living in Quebec.   

"Life goes on here in spite of the other side of reality," Joe observed.

This week, Joe will start his mission: joining a local charity to cook vegetarian meals in the mornings and distributing them to hospitals and to people that have been bombed from their homes, in the afternoon

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Joe’s decision to commit his retirement to this cause is a powerful reminder that the crisis in Ukraine is ongoing and that grassroots efforts still make a tangible difference on the front lines of aid.