The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is collecting info from those interesting in hosting or supporting Ukrainians.

Register with the UCC

Ukraine to Canada is vetting hosts and helping match them with Ukrainians.  We’re hoping for big things from this initiative.

Register as a host

Everyone can make a difference

Helping immigrants should be a community effort

Immigrants are faced with challenges especially early on.  There are roles for everyone who wants to get involved.

A single family deserves a community of support.  Ideally a dozen or so people to be there in different capacities and to share the load.

This facebook group is a great place to get advice form other hosts.

Challenges include:

  • Housing
  • Employment
  • Bureacracy (Immigration, Banking, DMV, Schools, Taxes, etc)
  • Understanding & Adapting to differences

Steps to help

1st

Organize your community. Build supports before you need them. Learn what resources your community has and what may be lacking. In other words - be prepared. Useful supports include but are not limited to:
  • Literacy and Language training (ESL Focused)
  • Counselling Services
  • Ukrainian & Russian Speakers
  • Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Trades Schools
  • Public Libraries & Chambers of Commerce

2nd

Have tough conversations. With your spouse and your community partners. Be realistic about what you can provide.. a month of housing is better than none but have a plan in place. Good time to assess your household budget and plan for record inflation (post pandemic inflation & inflation due to energy costs).

Victory Gardens are a traditional way to help with this.

3rd

Expect the unexpected. Be prepared to ask for help. There are so many generous Canadians willing to share this responsibility. Give them a chance to do their part. Try to anticipate how you'll handle household issues. Both Google home and Amazon Alexa devices can do live translation but it isn't perfect.

4th

Share your experience. We are very keen to provide the best possible advice to Canadians hosting or supporting Ukrainians. Please let us know what has worked and what hasn't so we can incorporate it.

Governance, Advocacy, and Support Models

We are seeking your expertise!

Do you have a background in governance, communication, or charity work?  It doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do with immigrants or refugees (although that’s a bonus!)  We are seeking help to develop models communities can use in their efforts to support Ukrainians.  Please get in touch with us.

Photo (Ogden Point, BC) courtesy of Michal Klajban / wikimedia – Creative commons license 4.0

Working toward positive outcomes

A few happy endings aren’t too much to ask for right?
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