Helping families that have left Ukraine to establish roots in the Dauphin area is the focus behind the Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund.
PUFF was originally launched early in 2022 to help bring 2-3 families from Ukraine to our region, but the demand has grown immensely since then, and so have the donations that have come into it.
Pam Iwanchysko is a volunteer with PUFF and says the local business community has really gotten behind this program.
"People like Reit-Syd Equipment, who have hired I believe 5 or 6 of our Ukrainian Families already. And then one of the biggest ones we have seen is all of the dentists getting together to buy winter clothing for all of the children. Dauphin Co-op gave us twenty thousand dollars in gift cards for families to buy gift cards. So the list goes on and on and on."
And the need continues to grow, as Iwanchysko says another four families were slated to arrive in the region over the weekend.
But the fund has not only helped with getting families established in the region - it has also played a big role in helping them find employment.
PUFF volunteer Pam Iwanchysko says thanks to grants from both the Dauphin and District Community Foundation and Kia Canada, they have been able to launch a project called "Education for Employment."
"We have been able to hire a couple of local teachers who are teaching evening English classes so that they can get better employment opportunities. And so that in itself has allowed a lot more people to get jobs. And when I say a lot more people - we now have 54 more families in our community who anybody wants to get a job has done so. We have well over 150 people, including children, who have come to our community."
PUFF also received over $144,000 in funding from the Canadian Ukrainian Foundation to not only help furnish homes for these 54 families but also help pay for utilities and buy groceries while family members worked towards finding employment.
Iwanchysko says they are working with Community Futures Parkland, who are not only helping monitor the funding they receive but are also helping some of the families with future economic development ideas.
"For example, we have a family that wants to start a restaurant here in town and have traditional Ukrainian food for example. So they are helping them with their business plan, developing a website and social media platform - that kind of thing. They are helping from that perspective, which is great. And again, this is all done in kind."
You can donate to PUFF through Fusion Credit Union.
