In February of 2022, Russia launched an illegal invasion, a war against its neighbour Ukraine.   

A month later, there were less than 10 Ukrainian newcomers in our community.  Three years later, though, that number has grown to over 300 in the Comox Valley and North Island.    

In those early days, it was extremely unnerving and time-consuming for our members in our attempts to identify who was here, never mind where they were living.  Once found, it was paramount to identify the newcomers’ initial needs, as all newcomers arrived with only the clothes on their backs and a suitcase.   

There is an old Ukrainian saying that gave us hope and guidance in terms of how to move forward: “the fullness of the sea is made up of many drops of water.” The residents of the Comox Valley became those drops of water – in this case, filling the needs of the newcomers. 

Some local residents stepped up early because of cultural connections; some due to knowing someone who knew someone else.  “Helping out”spread, like the ripples from a stone thrown into a pond. 

The list of acts of kindness and support was almost endless.  Here are some examples:

Some stepped up to offer a roof over heads (becoming host families).  Some offered beds, bedding and towels.  Others provided furnishings as well as dishes and cutlery. Welcome baskets were delivered to every identified newcomer.  Volunteers helped to lay a new floor to finish an accommodation.  Some people offered employment.  Retired teachers and others volunteered to teach English lessons to bridge the gap before our governments could respond with ongoing basic English classes.  Free clothing markets sprung up and meeting spaces for classes were offered free of charge by municipal governments.  Church congregations offered money, meeting space, and food as well as giving hundreds of hours of their time over months.   Local governments teamed up to support memberships in Valley recreation opportunities.   The Comox Valley School District worked diligently to receive in their classes, children and youth as well as to offer space for a children’s summer camp and English lessons for the adults.  Local grocers, businesses and individuals stepped up to provide vouchers for food and clothing which numbered in the thousands of dollars.  Others provided transportation out of the Valley for mandatory immigration medicals.  One person volunteered ownership of an unused but serviceable vehicle.   In collaboration with our Society, a legion of volunteers teamed up to plan and deliver an epic Ukrainian song and dance fundraiser performed by a dance company from another province.  This two-city event involving local big-hearted businesses provided the funds for our Society to hire a direct-support integration worker, who was herself a newcomer, fluent in Ukrainian, Russian as well as English.  As well, our Society set up a committee to receive applications and coordinate the distribution of funds to newcomers caught without sufficient means to cover the living costs encountered during their transition to a new culture.  In addition, Valley residents and newcomers attended a dedication ceremony for an oak sapling from Ukraine, donated to and replanted in a park in Comox, which aptly symbolized the newcomers’ resettlement in the rich soil of the Comox Valley.

As you can see, the list of actions is great.  The effect of that charity is timeless.  It is unimportant that you and your organizations are not here specifically mentioned.  You know who you are, and we know too that you weren’t reaching out for thanks when you offered to help.  You did it because you saw the need and you responded.  You did it in the hope that it would make a difference, small or large.  You need to know that your help DID make a difference in many peoples’ lives and that the Ukrainian newcomers recognize the generosity and sincerity of the residents of the Comox Valley and express their gratitude. 

The takeaway from acts of kindness, regardless of magnitude, is that when scaled they make huge differences in people’s lives.  There is no way of effectively measuring and reporting on the effect of these acts of kindness.  What we do know is that they are felt by both the receiver and the giver.  It has been said that when you give someone a bouquet of flowers, the fragrance is also experienced by the giver.  That fragrance, that effect is the sum of us acting.  That act provides meaning and connectedness to each other and our community.  It leads us to the power of WE.  Thank you!

Due to recent unexpected world events, we want all of our Ukrainian newcomers, community partners and our vast community of volunteers to know that we are “Still Standing with Ukraine”.