Our hearts are heavy as we've been closely following the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, and we've seen the question asked over and over - how can Canadian families help Ukrainians? It's easy to become overwhelmed and feel helpless in situations like these, so we thought one small way we can contribute is to share the amazing work that is being done, and what you can do to support these efforts!
5 Ways Canadian Families Can Help Ukrainians
1. Donate to the Canadian Red Cross's Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal:
The Canadian Red Cross is our go-to when we're looking for trusted organizations receiving monetary donations in support of a wide range of crises. The support could include preparedness, immediate and ongoing relief efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency, and other critical humanitarian activities as needs arise, both in Ukraine and surrounding countries, including supporting populations displaced. The Government of Canada committed to matching the first $10 million raised, which has incredibly already been met, but there is still much more need we can meet!
2. Book an Airbnb:
Airbnb has become a surprisingly strong fundraiser in support of the Ukrainian population. What started out as a grassroots campaign to offer aid has become an official avenue of support. Families looking to help those in need can offer to host a refugee, donate to fund refugee housing needs, or book a stay with a Ukrainian host.
3. Purchase Digital Products From Ukrainian Artists on Etsy:
Another creative grassroots effort to help Ukrainians in need is through purchasing digital art or other downloadable products that don't require physical order fulfillment from Ukrainian Etsy sellers. From cross-stitch patterns to children's art and more, there are thousands of beautiful options. One important note is that you must download the item from your order page once you check out in order for the seller to receive payment.
4. Purchase Kookum Scarves from Indigenous Face Masks
The Kookum /Ukrainian Scarf is a symbol of relations of the Indigenous peoples supporting Ukrainian settlers when they arrived in Canada as they were traded among Indigenous and Ukrainian women. For every scarf purchase, Indigenous Face Masks will donate $5 CAD to support Ukraine through the Red Cross. To date they have donated close to $5000!
5. Donate to Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher's GoFundMe Campaign:
Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis and her partner Ashton Kutcher have partnered with GoFundMe to launch a fundraising campaign, putting in a $3 million donation of their own. The fund will benefit Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, two organizations who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most. Flexport.org is organizing shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova, while Airbnb.org is providing free, short-term housing to refugees fleeing Ukraine (as mentioned above). To date they have raised close to $19 million USD!
Please share in the comments any other ways Canadian families can help Ukrainians that we may have missed. We will continue to update this post.
Born & raised in Vancouver, and co-founder of Healthy Family Media and the Healthy Family Expo, Angela is a reformed divorce lawyer turned healthy family champion! By day, she thrives on connecting conscious brands with busy Vancouver families. By night, you’ll find her wrangling two feisty daughters, choosing between instant pot or healthy freezer meals for dinner, and singing with MomChoir. She especially loves sharing her favourite family-friendly finds with other Lower Mainland parents!
