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March 4, 2022. TORONTO/OTTAWA – Today, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal announced a further $1,070,000 CAD of aid to be delivered early next week.

The UCC-CUF Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal had already deployed approximately $550,000 CAD to provide food packages, medicine and shelter.Today’s announcement brings that total to $1.62M CAD. Subsequent tranches of support will follow as we monitor and confirm prior deliveries of support, and assess the evolving needs.

Last week, Russia declared war on Ukraine. The Russian army has attacked military facilities, infrastructure and civilian targets. The WHO health cluster estimates that the number of affected people has climbed from 2.9 million a week ago, to almost 20 million today. As a result of this revised estimate, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has increased its target to $25 million CAD.

Just yesterday Rawlco Radio, in partnership with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, UCC Saskatchewan Provincial Council and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF), held a 12-hour Saskatchewan Day of Caring for Ukraine. In just 12 hours, the people of Saskatchewan pulled together and donated $1,020,125 to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and those in Ukraine!

“We have been working over the past several months to identify partners on the ground in Ukraine and surrounding countries who will be able to deliver aid to the affected population,” said Victor Hetmanczuk, Acting Chair of CUF and Humanitarian Relief Committee lead. “As our partners for the first two tranches of aid deliver on their missions, we continue in our conversations with all our partners to plan for various potential scenarios.”

CUF is now also be lending its expertise in working with several independent initiatives across Canada and help with the logistics required to gather, coordinate and manage the delivery of dozens, if not hundreds, of pallets of donated medical supplies.

“There is a real human need for our members of the Ukrainian Canada community and the broader community, our friends all around us, to do everything we can to help the people of Ukraine at their time of need,” said Alexandra Chyczij, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “We will be reaching out through the UCC provincial councils in the coming weeks to ensure all donated items from schools, places of worship, businesses, organizations, and individuals have a way of getting to those who need them.”

The Appeal will also help fund the coordination and delivery of both the medical supplies and the donated items. An announcement will follow next week.

Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes. #HelpUkraineNow.

Your donation is needed to help support this important project!

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected].

Background Information

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal – visit www.cufoundation.ca to donate now.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by crisis.

As of March 4, 2022: The UCC-CUF Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has announced the deployment of $1.62M CAD for the provision of food packages, medicine and shelter. Subsequent tranches of support will follow as we monitor and confirm delivery of prior tranches of support and assess the evolving needs. Funds pledged to date add up to $7.5M CAD of the $25M CAD target.

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4). For further information:  [email protected]

Canada-Ukraine Foundation

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, organize, and deliver assistance projects generated by Canadians and directed to Ukraine. CUF was established as a national charitable foundation that would coordinate Canadian organizations that have projects across both Ukraine as well as Canada.

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s (CUF) Health Advisory Team (HAT) is the partner of choice for Ukrainian healthcare institutions, NGOs, and various levels of government health ministries to build capability and capacity within Ukrainian healthcare systems and communities. Through CUF-supported programs and projects, we promote health by enabling organizations, healthcare practitioners and advocates to improve the healthcare in the communities that they serve.

Ukrainian Canadian Congress

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is the voice of Canada’s Ukrainian community.  The Congress brings together under one umbrella all the national, provincial and local Ukrainian Canadian organizations. Together with its member organizations, the UCC has been leading, coordinating and representing the interests of one of Canada’s largest ethnic communities (1.4 million) since 1940 and has been instrumental in shaping Canada’s social, economic and political landscape.

March 3, 2022. TORONTO/OTTAWA – Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Skakun (19 August 1996 – 24 February 2022) was a Ukrainian marine combat engineer born 19 August 1996 in Berezhany, Ternopilska Oblast, Ukraine.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Skakun’s battalion was deployed to protect the town of Henichesk, located near the Isthmus of Perekop. As a Russian armoured column approached the position, Ukrainian forces decided to destroy the Henichesk bridge, in order to slow the advance of Russian troops advancing northward from Crimea in the Kherson offensive. Skakun, a combat engineer, volunteered to place mines on the bridge.

On 24 February 2022, after placing the explosives, Skakun lacked time to withdraw from the bridge and, after texting his intentions to his fellow soldiers, detonated the mines killing himself and destroying the bridge. His actions slowed the Russian advance allowing his battalion time to regroup.

Vitaliy is survived by his mother, sister and family in Ukraine, Canada and U.S.A.

On 26 February 2022, Skakun was posthumously awarded the Order of the Gold Star, the military version of the title of Hero of Ukraine, by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On 28 February 2022, the Czech representative of one of Prague’s city districts, Libor Bezděk, proposed to rename a bridge in Korunovační street, which is the address of the Russian embassy, to Vitaliy Skakun Bridge. The proposal was accepted by the district and was forwarded to Prague City Council.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Canada Ukraine Foundation are proud to honour the memory of Vitaliy Skakun by establishing the Vitaliy Skakun Fund to assist the families of Ukrainian veterans. 

ВІЧНАЯ ПАМ’ЯТЬ! ГЕРОЇ НЕ ВМИРАЮТЬ!

Donations in memory of Vitaliy Skakun can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to the CUF office with the Vitaliy Skakun Fund in the memo line.

February 24, 2022. TORONTO/OTTAWA – Today, Russia has declared war on Ukraine. The Russian army conducts military operations against the Ukrainian people, targeting several Ukrainian cities. There were reports of explosions in the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and many others.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) today announced a major update on its fundraising efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis ensuing from the current Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Province of Alberta will donate $1 million toward humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine as Russian aggression in the country escalates.

“The UCC and CUF are also pleased to announce that the Temerty Foundation has generously donated $750,000 to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal,” said Orest Sklierenko, CUF’s President and CEO.

“We are extremely grateful to them for their generous contribution and ask all Canadians to join in our efforts to help people in Ukraine who have had to flee their homes,” said Alexandra Chyczij, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

With the donation by the Province of Alberta and the Temerty Foundation, the Ukraine Appeal Fund has raised $2,390,000 to date. This includes a generous $100,000 contribution from the Province of Saskatchewan, $150,000 donation from the Province of Manitoba, $300,000 – from the Province of Ontario and many organizational and individual donors.

Members of the Ukrainian Canadian community, many of our friends and colleagues across Canada, community organizations, provincial governments and a major donor have responded to the appeal and helped us exceed the preliminary Phase I target of $1.5M.

 Today we are announcing a Phase II target of $5M aimed at continued supplies of food and medicine for displaced Ukrainians.

“In addition to streamlining the Canadian response, we are also encouraging other Ukrainian diaspora countries to do the same and assess how to best support Ukrainian people at this time of need,” – said Orest Sklierenko, CUF’s President and CEO.

Your donation is needed to help support this important community project!

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office.

 For further information: [email protected]

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Committee has been established jointly by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Canada Ukraine Foundation to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The main efforts of cooperation are to provide humanitarian assistance/relief in the areas of Assistance to displaced persons, Medical care, Emergency Shelter and Food security.

TORONTO/OTTAWA – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) are pleased to announce that the Ukrainian Women’s Organization (UWOC) National and Toronto Branch, have generously donated $7,000 to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The $7,000 donation consists of $5,000 from UWOC National and, $2,000 from the UWOC Toronto Branch.

“We are most grateful to the UWOC for their contribution to this important campaign,” stated Orest Sklierenko, President of the CUF.

The Ukrainian Women’s Organization of Canada, founded in 1930,  supports the democratic, economic, and social development of a free and independent Ukraine.

“The members of the UWOC are carrying on the tradition of their founders who were instrumental in providing essential aid and relief to Ukrainian refugees during World War II,” stated Alexandra Chyczij, President of UCC National.

The UHA will provide humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine, working with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis.

“Efforts will be focused on the provision of humanitarian assistance in the form of medical care, emergency shelter and food security to displaced persons,” stated Orest Sklierenko, President of the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between UCC and CUF details a framework for mutual collaboration:

• to work collaboratively on humanitarian assistance initiatives directed towards Ukraine, facilitating uniform and coordinated action between the UCC and CUF, its branches, and members, while building on the recognized expertise, experience, and resources of each organization;
• to develop projects that will combine the subject matter and implementation experience of CUF with the expertise of UCC in uniting the Ukrainian Canadian community;
• to offer donors and other stakeholders an opportunity to make contributions and receive reports through a single channel; and
• to adopt a coordinated approach in collaboration with donors and other stakeholders who wish to support people in Ukraine affected by crisis.

The main efforts of cooperation will be to provide humanitarian assistance/relief in the areas of Assistance to displaced persons, Medical care, Emergency Shelter and Food security. The roles and responsibilities of UCC and CUF are detailed in the MOA, including financial accountability, reporting requirements and overall transparency to the Ukrainian Canadian community.