Last month, a downtown vigil marked three years of war in Ukraine.
Today, Richard McRonald, co-chair of the St. Andrew’s Mission and Outreach Coordinating Committee says it seems there is no end in sight since Russia's full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.
Since then, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, partnered alongside Knox Church, has provided financial support to Ukrainians fleeing the war, locally.
“This support program has gone on for three years and it looks like there is no end to the war,” McRonald said.
“And these folks have not received a raise either, so the support we provide for them is the same as it was when it started.”
McRonald says recent events have sparked even more unrest between political leaders, serving as a reminder that the war is far from over.
“I feel this both from the standpoint of the on-going war, the suffering, death and destruction that continues, but also the political side of things and what is happening in the United States. The change in their position, being pals with Putin and Russia is very distressing,” McRonald said.
“There’s peace and then there's peace with justice. I’m concerned that Ukraine will get railroaded, and that an end to the fighting, there won't really be ‘peace’.”
St. Andrew’s has sponsored refugees across the world since 1980.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the two church communities came together to extend their support and help those from war-torn Ukraine.
“Even though we refer to this as a ‘refugee fund’, the fact is that Ukrainians who fled the war are not legally refugees, so they do not qualify for many of the benefits that most newcomers to Canada receive,” McRonald said.
“The pathway to permanent resident status for those who choose to stay is slow, complicated and costly.”
The initial response from the community, McRonald says, was swift and within a month, close to $7,800.00 was donated from the community.
Since then, various fundraisers have been held, and as of the end of January, the fund has enough money to maintain financial support until the end of June.
“In other ways, Ukrainians are self supporting. When they came, we had a group of people who were hosts and they welcomed Ukrainians into their home. Many have since moved out and are now living independently,” McRonald said.
“Most of them have jobs but are not making quite enough money to live. But that’s not a unique story to Ukrainians. There are lots of Canadians who feel it too.”
Along with financial support, both church communities help in other ways and meet with Ukrainians regularly to help them feel welcome and settled.
“The relationships between some of the host families and Ukrainians who live or have lived with them, remains strong, even if they have moved out. And that’s wonderful,” McRonald said.
Hosts in Guelph have opened their homes to 13 Ukrainian refugees.
“Some have moved away. Some have become totally independent, but we do still support three families, a total of six people,” McRonald said.
“An anonymous donor has paid for one of the Ukrainian children's tuition to attend Guelph Christian school until she graduates. The community, in many ways, has really supported the efforts that have been spearheaded by St. Andrews."
Speaking with a few Ukrainians recently, McRonald says they are concerned but remain surprisingly optimistic.
“I guess after all that they have been through, that’s how they keep on going. They are waiting to see. They support their president and they just hope for the best,” McRonald said.
People who would like to show their support, can contact either Knox or St. Andrews, to make a donation over the phone or online.
“We appreciate very much the support that the community has provided. Both in the refugee fund and in other ways. We certainly would appreciate it if people can provide some additional funding for the program,” McRonald said.
The fund is in addition to other community initiatives that St. Andrews continues to support through its mission and outreach ministries.
“Some of that is supporting entities in Guelph including Chalmers, Royal City Mission and others, which we still want to do,” McRonald said.
“Our two committees will be meeting in the near future to discuss the refugee fund and what we can possibly do together in terms of fundraising efforts in the future.”
Ukrainians receiving support have shown their thanks by offering programs at the churches including a Ukrainian cultural afternoon and during the Easter season, have put on a master class in Ukrainian Easter egg decorating.
“They have often expressed their gratitude for what we have been able to do for them. They are just so thankful. They consider themselves blessed and they pray for everyone that has supported them and continues to support them,” McRonald said.
“This comes from faith, in loving God and loving our neighbours as ourselves. In this case, our neighbours are Ukrainians. And that’s why we do it.”
