Key Takeaways:
- The Ukrainian Club of Moncton is renovating the basement of a decommissioned church to provide temporary housing for newcomers from Ukraine.
- They debuted as a drop-off point on Tuesday, thanks to a generous donation from local entrepreneur Roméo Goguen.
- Clothing hangers, shelves, and anything else that may be used to store and organize donations are in high demand right now.
The Ukrainian Club of Moncton is remodeling a disused church’s basement to provide temporary lodging for newcomers from Ukraine.
“There will be 7 rooms downstairs, with 2 full bathrooms, and a fantastic enormous community kitchen,” said Natalia Haidash, an executive committee member. We can accommodate up to 30 guests at a time.”
They are currently sorting items for immigrants in the basement of the former St. Andrew’s Presbytarian church in downtown Moncton.
On Tuesday, they opened as a drop-off location after local entrepreneur Roméo Goguen granted them the facility for free.
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Housewares, clothing, and children’s toys were instantly donated, according to Haidash.
“We started asking newcomers to come to get this stuff since we don’t have space,” she explained.
The Ukrainian Club already has a second warehouse for storage, as well as a drop-off location at the YMCA in the North End.
“They’re two separate initiatives,” Haidash explained. The YMCA location accepts donations for Ukraine, while the new location accepts money for newcomers to Moncton.
On Saturday morning, volunteers like Tania Lasaga-Mallaley had their hands full as donations continued to pour in.
“It’s fantastic because you get to meet a lot of people and exchange stories with them, as well as understand and welcome them to Canada.” “It’s fantastic,” she exclaimed.
Donors like Christian Arseneault of Moncton arrived to dump their belongings.
“We assumed the best way we could contribute was to clean our house, look at what the kids weren’t using, and give it to other kids who could use it,” he explained.
Newcomers are arriving daily to pick up donations, according to Haidash. The largest needs right now are clothing hangers, shelves, and anything else that can be utilized to store and arrange donations.
She advises that those interested in giving things or volunteering their time may visit the Ukrainian Club’s Facebook page or contact them personally.
Source: Global News
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