June 12, 2023
Waterloo Region, Ontario. Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis
(WRGR), a volunteer-led group of local residents that help Ukrainian people fleeing the devastating war in their country, are reaching out to the community for help for 4 minors, ages 15-16, that will bearriving in our Region within the next few weeks.
Facebook group, CANADA - Host Ukrainians (CHU), who has been helping Ukrainian youth get assistance upon arrival in Canada since 2022, works with these unaccompanied minors before they arrive to both ensure that their entry paperwork is properly prepared and that they are connected with a vetted host. CHU has reached out to WRGR as a trusted network to help find safe housing options.
Following is a story from a parent of one of these young people named Tomko [not his real name for privacy].
“We tried to settle down in Spain [where] I found a job, but it was not enough [income] to live in Europe. We had to go back [to Ukraine] in June. All this year, Tomko studied at distance education. When there is bombardment around, he is in a state of anxiety, and it is impossible to call it studying. We had a winter without light and sometimes without water and heat. It is very difficult in such a situation to concentrate on studies. And of course, we are under constant stress. That is why I appealed.”
“I want my son to be safe during the war and to have good people near him to help him adapt to studying and enjoying life. I am very grateful to the [Canadian] families who help Ukrainians. For me, his safety is above all, and I am ready to let him go to another country, as long as he does not see the horror that is happening in Ukraine.”
Each one of these youth have a story like Tomko’s. Many mothers are seeking safety for their
children as they stay behind to fight or to care for the elderly that have been injured and can not leave. They are desperate to find a secure place for their children to live with a bed, access to a kitchen and a bathroom and a welcoming smile.
Learn more about how impactful it can be to be a host for a family
https://www.wrgrassrootsresponse.ca/housing. We may also be contacted at
wrgrassrootsresponse@gmail.com or 519-242-8524.