Hatters Help Ukraine organizers Chris Christie and George Kovalev pose for a photo in front fo the Community Foundation offices on May 4, 2022. The group has doubled its fundraising goal to $100,000 to help bring and provide initial support for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. -- News File Photo
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A local group looking to help Ukrainian refugees resettle permanently in Medicine Hat has reached its initial goal of raising $50,000 in cash and gift cards, and is now seeking more help to finalize flights for more families.
Hatters Help Ukraine announced last month it would initially focus on bringing four specific families to the Hat and provide initial support to help with rent and living situations while employment is arranged.
That is occurring now, according to co-organizer Chris Christie, and the group is prepared to double its fundraising goal to prioritize more families and focus on arranging airfare from Europe.
“Families displaced from Ukraine have lost so much,” said Christie. “The biggest barrier to their settlement in Medicine Hat is their lack of financial resources for expensive air travel. Federal charter flights have been few and fill up quickly.”
Money donated directly to the the group via the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta comes with a charitable donation tax receipt.
Another option for those looking to help is to connect directly with the group and purchase specific tickets using travel points, cash or a combination of both. Family groups are typically three or five in size. Flights from Poland, to where many of the potential immigrants fled to from the conflict, cost about $1,000 per person.
The federal government announced in early March that Ukrainian nationals would be issued immediate work visas, and expedite other paper work.
Much of the other costs are being carried by charitable groups and volunteers, said George Kovalev, the founder of Hatters Help Ukraine and a power engineer who emigrated to Canada 18 years ago from Ukraine.
The group can be contacted via the Community Foundation or via email at HattersHelpUkraine@gmail.com.
