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CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM – CUSAP ANNOUNCES ITS 5TH SURGICAL MISSION IN POLAND

The Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP), a project of the Canada-Ukraine foundation (CUF), is pleased to announce its 5th medical mission in Poland, taking place from April 19 to May 8.  

CUSAP is a nonprofit program. Its volunteers aim to provide comprehensive state-of-the-art multidisciplinary trauma care and post-trauma reconstruction to both civilian and military casualties of war in Ukraine and to support Ukrainian healthcare professionals through education in trauma reconstruction. Canada-Ukraine Foundation has funded this life-changing surgical assistance program since 2014. The upcoming April-May mission will mark the 12th mission supported by CUF (7 run in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion).

Over the last decade, hundreds of volunteers have been involved in the CUSAP initiative, impacting the lives of thousands of Ukrainian victims of war. CUSAP’s purpose is to provide patients sustainable, quality care with compassion and integrity.  

The April-May mission will have a team of 60 volunteers, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU-intensive care physicians, internists, OR and ward nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and support staff.  
The incoming trauma patients will receive complete assessment, including psychological, necessary scans, lab work, post-operative assessment, pharmaceutical medications, and referrals for psychological and physiological rehabilitation. CUSAP patients sustain some of the most severe injuries from the war and require complex reconstructive surgeries, including craniofacial, microsurgical, orthopaedic, and extremity procedures. The entire cost of care and treatment is funded by donations to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation / CUSAP.  

In addition, a team of biomedical engineers will be partnering to create necessary 3D custom models and implants to ensure the best results in reconstructive surgeries. The team will work side by side with Ukrainian surgeons and physicians, providing hands-on training and mentorship.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donors for their unwavering support, which has made the missions possible. Your contributions are the lifeline that allows us to change lives one surgery at a time. We invite you to continue leaving your mark of hope by donating today to support CUSAP. Together, we can make a real difference!

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News Humanitarian/Medical

CUF-UCC UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL AIDS THE “CITY OF GOODNESS”

“Every person is a story, and we try to ensure that every Ukrainian child’s story who we care for becomes a good story,” says Marta Levchenko, founder of the shelter and rehabilitation centre City of Goodness in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.

As a teenager, Marta Levchenko volunteered with Roma children in Zakarpattia region and with women who had experienced domestic violence. Years later, in 2018, her foundation established the City of Goodness to help mothers escaping domestic violence or living in poverty and unable to provide for their children. The shelter provides not only temporary accommodation for those women and their children but also professional psychotherapy, medical care, education, professional training and assists with finding employment, so that these women could get back on their feet and start their lives anew with their children. The mission of the shelter is to help women so that they could keep their children and be able to care for and raise them well.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the City of Goodness has also opened its doors to the internally displaced from across Ukraine, including the territories occupied by the Russian Federation.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal — a joint effort of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) — has recently provided a grant to the City of Goodness. The grant has helped provide shelter, food, and medicines to 400 people, including internally displaced women with children, the elderly, victims of domestic violence, and orphans from Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. The shelter has also taken in 35 homeless pets that have since become therapy animals to young residents of the City of Goodness.

Additionally, with the funds raised at a concert in Montreal for the City of Goodness, another grant was given to the shelter to help cover the construction of a centralized water and sewage system for their new building (hospice) as well as an elevator platform.

Sofia Yatsyuk, organizer of the fundraiser in Montreal, visiting the “City of Goodness”

The City of Goodness is a shelter and rehabilitation center that sets a high standard and is a role model for other regions of Ukraine to follow. Managers from the social sector come to learn about the shelter’s broad spectrum of services provided under “one roof,” The organization’s all-encompassing procedures and management style have made it a success story for so many.

Last year, the City of Goodness received a medical license and became a robust ecosystem, employing psychologists and rehabilitation specialists. “Little Domna, who is being raised by her grandmother, could not sit up on her own. Recently, she stood on her own for the first time,” says Levchenko proudly. “Thanks to the donors, we were able to buy a leg implant for Domna.”

For her significant achievements in the charitable sector, Marta Levchenko was included in the Ukrainian Pravda 100 Power of Women, dedicated to women who are saving Ukraine now. 

Marta Levchenko with the residents of the “City of Goodness”

Your donations to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal support projects like the City of Goodness, they change lives of so many for the better, they provide safety, shelter and care – thank you!

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News

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk Canadian Speaking Tour

Oleksandra Matviichuk
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TORONTO (March 15, 2024) – On March 15, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation announced the coming Canada speaking tour of 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk.  The Kyiv-based human rights lawyer heads up the Centre for Civil Liberties (Ukraine) Foundation, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for work in cataloguing Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

The Canadian speaking tour is sponsored by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF). Through multiple events in four Canadian cities, Ms. Matviichuk will be raising awareness to the plight of the thousands of Ukrainian children stolen by Russia, the impact of the war on women and children, and her ongoing work in cataloguing human rights abuses and war crimes. Funds raised through the tour will support the two foundations.

Date breakdown

A detailed itinerary will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

Ottawa

June 3-5

Montreal

June 6

Toronto

June 6-8

Winnipeg

June 8-9

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Quotes

We are honoured to partner with Oleksandra Matviichuk and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties. Their work in cataloguing war crimes is essential and will constitute a critical part of the Nuremburg Trials against Kremlin officials once this war is over.

Victor Hetmanczuk, Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation

The war isn’t over. With each day it continues, more children are being abducted by Russia and sent to filtration camps or re-education centres. This horrendous crime must be better understood.

Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz, Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation Civil Society Committee

Biographical notes

Oleksandra Matviichuk attended Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, graduating in 2007 when she was conferred a LL.M. specializing in human rights law. She started working for the non-profit Centre for Civil Liberties upon its founding in 2007, when it was established. In 2012, she became a member of the Advisory Council under the Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine’s parliament. In 2017, she became the first woman to participate in the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program of Stanford University.  Since October 2022, she has been Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, which she received in 2022 on behalf of the Centre for Civil Liberties, her honours include, inter alia:

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$4 MILLION WINTERIZATION to support the most vulnerable in Ukraine

This is Ukraine’s second winter amid full-scale war – its civilian infrastructure continues to be targeted by the Russian missile and drone attacks. Lives are cut short, and millions remain in dire need of humanitarian aid.

Since late November of last year, the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has been running its second Winterization program in Ukraine in response to the local needs identified by our long-term partners on the ground. The program was tailored to help the most vulnerable population in Ukraine residing predominantly along the frontlines (Kharkivska, Donetska, Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Sumska, Mykolaivska oblasts, etc.) as well as those internally displaced to central and western regions of Ukraine.

Winterization program 2024:

  • 30,000 food boxes to sustain over 100,000 people
  • Essential and emergency medicines to dozens of hospitals and clinics
  • 2,400 beds with mattresses and bedding sets
  • 3,000 wood-burning stoves
  • 6,000 blankets
  • Hygiene products to tens of thousands of disabled, bedridden and newborns
  • Christmas gifts to over 1,000 children in shelters

Where possible, our projects were sourced (produce for food boxes) and manufactured (beds, bedding, blankets and stoves) locally to support the country and its people from within.

“Last year, when we identified the need for stoves and received a grant from CUF to do the project, it not only provided a source of heat to people in need, it also helped a local manufacturer of stoves survive,” said Olena Prevarska, project manager, Youth Movement “Be Free”. “Since then, the company has improved its manufacturing process and is now working on multiple orders.” 

This life-sustaining assistance through the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal would not be possible without our donors – thank you for supporting our continuous humanitarian efforts in Ukraine!

OCHA (The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) estimates that 14.6 million people in Ukraine (over 40% of current population) will be in need of humanitarian aid in 2024 – please keep supporting Ukrainians by donating to Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal!

Background

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) was launched in January of 2022 by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) to coordinate the provision of humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to civilians impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including relief for displaced persons in Europe and Canada.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of ur support.

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Over $70 million in humanitarian aid reaches Ukrainians over the two years since russia’s full-scale invasion

Image if young Ukrainian girl affected by the war

On the eve of the 2nd anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress held a joint press conference to provide an update on humanitarian programming delivered through Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal over the two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Thanks to our Donors’ generous support, a total of $67 million was raised for humanitarian works through the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, supplemented by $20 million in in-kind donations. Over the same two-year time frame, more than $70 million has been disbursed in humanitarian programming in Ukraine and its near-abroad.

The primary focus of the humanitarian relief efforts has been in the areas of food security, medical care, emergency shelter and mental health support for people in Ukraine, and for displaced Ukrainians in neighbouring countries and Canada. To see the details on the types of aid deployed since February of 2022, please follow the link to a full press release. This would not have been possible without the continuous generosity of our Donors – thank you!

Over 6 million people fled Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war on February 24, 2022. As of January 27th, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, over 220,000 Ukrainians found refuge in Canada under the CUAET visa. Ontario and Alberta have taken in over 60% of all new arrivals with 40% and 22% respectively. Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba have each taken in 10% of CUAET holders.

Shortly after the Government of Canada opened temporary sheltering visas (CUAET) to Ukrainians fleeing the war, the Displaced Ukrainians Appeal was launched under the umbrella of the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and has since raised $3.1 million in donations from donors across Canada.

Approximately $2 million have been dispersed or committed so far through over 30 humanitarian projects in 6 Canadian provinces, supporting displaced Ukrainians – mainly women with children and the elderly, with a focus on food security, shelter, and psychosocial support such as trauma counselling and employment assistance.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (February 15, 2024), intensified air strikes and hostilities continue to have a grave humanitarian impact on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The need for humanitarian aid remains critical – on this 2nd anniversary of the full-scale invasion, please #StandWithUkraine and make a donation to support our vital work!

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News Community/Education Humanitarian/Medical Projects

OVER 1,000 FAMILIES IN UKRAINE ARE SUSTAINED WITH GLUTEN-FREE FOOD FOR A YEAR

The World Health Organization estimates that 1-2% of people worldwide have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder resulting from a permanent intolerance to gluten. In Ukraine, according to experts, at least 300 thousand suffer from this disease.

“People can have gluten intolerance and may not know about it for years, and at the same time be treated for diseases caused by gluten intolerance.” explains Dr. Olga Naumova, an allergist, President of the Ukrainian Celiac Society.

Fifteen years ago, Dr. Naumova united families with children suffering from celiac disease and founded the Ukrainian Celiac Society. For the past decade, Dr. Naumova and volunteers have been conducting educational campaigns, explaining the dire consequences of this disease such as diabetes and infertility.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, there was a new, developing market focused on manufacturing of gluten-free foods. Eleven family-run Ukrainian companies produced licensed gluten-free products – four of them are currently under Russia’s temporary occupation and three ceased to exist. Families in need of gluten-free foods, have been facing both a sharp reduction in availability and significant price increase.

A grant from the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) – a joint effort of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, to the Ukrainian Celiac Society is providing around 1,000 specialized food boxes a month for families with children suffering from gluten intolerance over a period of 12 months.

Thanks to the support of our Donors, with this grant we are helping families with children suffering from Celiac disease and support local manufacturers of licensed gluten-free foods.

“For parents of children with celiac disease, it is important not only to receive a specialty food box but also be able to source locally these foods in the future. The grant from UHA helps these families sustain their children’s health and the health of small niche businesses,” emphasized Dr. Olga Naumenko.

Thank you to all who continuously enable a variety of humanitarian aid to Ukraine through the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal – do donate, please follow the link www.cufoundation.ca.

Background

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) was launched in January of 2022 by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) to coordinate the provision of humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to civilians impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including relief for displaced persons in Europe and Canada.

To date, we have delivered over $70 million in food, medicine, emergency shelter, mental health support, surgical aid, firefighter gear, individual first aid kits, ambulances, generators, and many more types of aid, including in-kind donations.

Please click here to read further about our humanitarian relief efforts since the full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established in 1995 to coordinate, develop, organize and implement aid projects created by Canadians and directed to Ukraine.

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News

UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL and UKRAINIAN SOCIETY OF THE DEAF SUPPORT VITAL INTERPRETING SERVICES

The war in Ukraine significantly increased the vulnerability of its deaf and hard-of-hearing population – many could not hear air raid sirens and get to bomb shelters in time. Before the onset of hostilities there were more than 2 million people in Ukraine with impaired hearing, and 31,000 were reported to be living with complete hearing loss, claims the World Health Organization.

The Ukrainian Society of the Deaf, a non-governmental organization assisting people with impaired hearing in Ukraine since 1933, worked tirelessly to ensure people were receiving most up-to-date information in Ukrainian sign language – latest news and developments, dangers, and ways to evacuate, seek shelter and medical assistance.

In the first year of the full-scale invasion, the Society organized evacuation of more than 6,299 deaf Ukrainians from the most dangerous regions. The national associations of the deaf in Moldova, Poland, and Hungary were among the first who admitted and helped settle these evacuees – assistance made possible by the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (a joint effort of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), launched in January of 2022).

To ensure quality access to information and services for the deaf population in Ukraine as well as for those who found temporary refuge in neighboring countries continues, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal further supports the work of the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf by funding the following programming for 2023-24:

  • around-the-clock access to the latest news and developments on the war, interpreting messages of the President of Ukraine, Army officials and spokespersons
  • online communication services, professional opportunities for the deaf, and barrier-free access to medical advice and appointments
  • mental health support for various age groups through video and support materials
  • educational tools for displaced children attending schools in neighboring countries

Last summer, Iryna Chepchyna, president of the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf, attended the World Congress of the Deaf in Korea and addressed the challenges faced by people with a hearing impairment in Ukraine during the war.

She received an International Solidarity Award from the President of the World Federation of the Deaf, Joseph Murray, for her leadership of the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf.

Over the last two years, thanks to the steadfast Donor support of the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, evacuation to safety, interpreting services, efficient delivery of critical information and programming was and continues to be provided to the deaf and hard-of-hearing population – Thank you!

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News

Victor Hetmanczuk, C.M. appointed as Member of the Order of Canada.

Chair of the Board, CUF

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of our own Mr. Victor Hetmanczuk as a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a tremendous achievement and one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. The Order of Canada exists to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments, the recipient’s dedication to their community, as well as their service to the country.

Over the last 50 years Mr. Hetmanczuk has made a lasting impact on the Ukrainian-Canadian community and wider Canadian society, including professional achievements at Ukrainian Canadian Social Services, Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank, and Petro Canada; and community service achievements at the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, the Ukrainian Care Centre, the Ukrainian World Foundation, the SO-USE Credit Union and many roles within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.

A legacy within each organization where he has served is positive change ensuring both cultural and financial sustainability for generations to come. Victor has never sought publicity or profile while serving the community. His understated approach compliments his ability to lead a team to deliver the task at hand quietly and diligently.

For his contributions to his country and community, Victor has been awarded: the Volodymyr the Great Medal, from the Ukrainian World Congress, 2023, the Taras Shevchenko Medal from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, 2022, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation Distinguished Service Award, 2020, the Centenary Award of St. Andrew from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, 2018, the Recognition of Benevolence Medal from the Ministry of Defence Ukraine, 2017 and the twenty-fifth Anniversary Medal of Ukraine’s Independence from the President of Ukraine, 2016.

Congratulations Victor! Вітаємо Вікторе!

Governor General’s office made the announcement this morning, December 28th, you can read it here.

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2023 in review – thank you for your support!

As we look back on 2023, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all who showed their unwavering support of our vital work! Thank you for your time organizing fundraisers, thank you for the generous pledges and donations in kind, thank you for keeping Ukraine and Ukrainians at the forefront, as the world kept turning – your donations made all the difference in over a million lives – thank you for being the Light!

This year, our primary focus remained on humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine though the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal – our joint effort with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), launched in January of 2022. To date, we have dispersed $50 million in food, medicine, medical equipment, surgical aid, mental health support, ambulances, generators and gear for the first responders, as well as launched new long-term projects such as demining and rehabilitation of war victims.

We expanded that effort with the humanitarian assistance to Displaced Ukrainians who found their temporary refuge here in Canada through the multitude of projects across the country. $1.2 million distributed to help with food security, shelter, newcomer orientation, language (ESL, FSL) and psycho-social support.

Additionally, for a second year in the row, we sponsored two weeks of summer camp for almost 1,500 displaced children from Ukraine at 38 locations across Canada and provided 61 CUF bursaries to displaced post-secondary Ukrainian students, in partnership with the Shevchenko Foundation.

Summer Camp at UNF Toronto

CUF-UCC UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL

Aid to Ukraine since February 2022: $50 million

  • Food and Hygiene kits
  • Ambulances, Medical Equipment, Medicines
  • Surgical Missions – CUSAP
  • Evacuation of Cancer Patients to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto
  • Mental Health Support
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthesis
  • Shelter for Women and Children
  • First Responders Gear, Rescue Boats, Demining Robots
  • Generators, Stoves, Beds and Bedding

Winterization Projects: December 2023 – April 2024

  • Medicine to 38 hospitals along the front line
  • 30,000 Food Boxes for 75,000 people
  • 2,400 Beds, Mattresses, Bedding to internally displaced persons
  • 3,000 Wood-Burning Stoves to families living in remote areas
  • 6,000 Thermal Blankets
  • & Christmas gifts to over 1,000 children

Long-term projects:

  • Surgical Missions – CUSAP
  • Rehabilitation of war victims
  • Mental Health Support Programs for Adults & Children
  • First Aid Training for civilians and paramedics
  • Demining: Education and Technical Aspects

Our work would not be possible without our many trusted partners and the unwavering support of our donors – thank you!

Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine is devastating – amidst the loss and pain, we stand with our brothers and sisters. Please help us continue our vital work and donate at www.cufoundation.ca

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News Community/Education Holodomor National Awareness Tour

Study of Holodomor genocide in Ukraine to be included in Grade 10 Canadian history course

Today, November 28th, Minister Lecce announced that the Ontario government mandated the study of the 1932-33 Holodomor – a man-made famine orchestrated by the Soviet regime in Ukraine 90 years ago, to be included in Grade 10 Canadian history course beginning in September of 2025.

This is a momentous news for the Ukrainian Canadian community that lobbied tirelessly to make this brutal campaign of Joseph Stalin against Ukrainian identity and existence that claimed millions of lives, known. Canada was the first country in the world that in 2008 recognized Holodomor as genocide of Ukrainians, and now, including Holodomor in the curriculum will ensure our youth learns about adverse consequences of extreme political ideologies like those of totalitarian communist regime, in the classroom.

“The rise of extremism, including Communism and Marxism, are direct threats to our democracy, social cohesion and values as Canadians,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “I am determined to strengthen education on our shared values, including by mandating learning about the horrors of state-sponsored persecution of Ukrainians in the Holodomor in Grade 10 Canadian History. This learning will help ensure students are never bystanders in the face of such horrors, understand the danger of totalitarianism and help safeguard fundamental Canadian values of freedom and democracy over communist extremism.”

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is also deeply grateful to the Government of Ontario for reinforcing this learning by investing $400,000 to support the Holodomor National Awareness Tour and the Holodomor Mobile Classroom (HMC) that will enable the HMC to travel to schools across the province and engage students in grades 6 to 12 through the experiential learning directly linked to the Ontario curriculum.

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation developed Holodomor National Awareness Tour in 2014 to foster education and bring awareness of the Holodomor to Canadians. To date, the Holodomor Mobile Classroom engaged over 70,000 people across Canada and had visited more than 500 schools.

The Holodomor Mobile Classroom (HMC). Image by: Tetiana Dodonova

The Holodomor Mobile Classroom is a unique learning environment that uses cutting-edge technology to fully immerse and assist students in learning about the Holodomor in a digital classroom on wheels.

The fusion of technologies and interactive content that was developed for this program, defines an entirely new way to conduct lessons allowing both the facilitator and students to actively engage with each other.

This year, the Holodomor Mobile Classroom traveled Eastern and Western Canada, and just last week, was in Ottawa to mark the 90th anniversary of Holodomor on the Parliament Hill. 

Image by: Tetiana Dodonova

We are very grateful to the Donors who made the travels of the Holodomor Mobile Classroom possible over the years and look forward to many more thanks to the support of the Government of Ontario!

Today’s announcement ensures that students will learn about the unknown chapter in Ukrainian history, and that they will continue to embrace and value democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law that Canada holds in the highest regard.

Background

To learn more about the Holodomor National Awareness Tour (HNAT): https://holodomortour.ca/