With the arrival of a 60th family from Ukraine earlier this month, and another family set to arrive later this week, organizers of the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund have announced plans to shift their focus.
Tere Stykalo says they are going to put a pause on bringing more new families to the region, with their focus now going towards further supporting the families that have already arrived and making sure that they are set up to succeed.
"The fund is definitely still accepting donations as far as monetary goes. We are always accepting volunteer hours. There is a tremendous amount of support that requires just getting the families settled, getting them into the financial institutions to get their banking set up, to get their insurance set up. Some of that stuff has been done, but there is also the ongoing supports. So to our Ukrainian families, the support from the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund is not over, it is just beginning."
Stykalo highlights some of the areas that they will be working on.
"Families are still going to look for permanent residency, and a number are applying already, so there is some help needed from the community and different organizations to help with that. And integrating them into the English language classes. The Parkland Ukrainian Family Dund is very proud that we have created those English classes, but teachers are required."
Meanwhile, Jim Perchaluk adds they will also be working on a summer daycare program for these families.
"During the summer, we need daycare classes for those parents that currently have children in school, and they have to be looked after during the summer. We set up daycare last year and we intend to do the same again this summer."
Anyone wanting to help out in any of these areas can contact Larry at 204-648-5904, or any member of the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund committee.
Monetary donations can also still be made at Fusion Credit Union, with cheques being made out to the Ukrainian Folk Arts Museum, who are administering the fund.
