Episode 08: How to Support Ukrainians!
As I write this, the Russo-Ukrainian war is ongoing.
To this day, there have been:
At least 42,295 deaths
At least 56,756 injuries
At least 15,000 people missing
Around 14 million people displaced
At least 140,000 destroyed buildings
Around 350 billion USD in property damage
All of this isn’t even taking into consideration the emotional or psychological repercussions of war, of displacement, of grief on millions upon millions of families around the world, including Ukrainians in Toronto. Suffice it to say that war is destructive in many more ways than one.
In Toronto there are actually a lot of Ukrainian people. Growing up, I learned to appreciate this community deeply. Every fall, there is a “UkiFest” where colorful dances and delicious street food take over the Roncesvalles area. Many of my classmates were Ukrainians as a kid and I’ve always known them to be very kind.
This left me wondering what we can do, from halfway around the world.
As Torontonians we can support our Ukrainian friends emotionally and materially by shopping at their businesses, funding relief efforts, learning about their struggle and generally raising their morale during this very difficult time.
In this video, I share some beautiful aspects of Ukrainian culture you may not have experienced, such as the delicious sweet and savory varonyky from Heavenly Pierogy. Those blueberry varonyky have a place in my heart for sure! I never knew that dumplings could be dessert too. Or that a church basement could be a great restaurant. You learn something new every day!
Actually, I was also very impressed by how amazing the cakes and sweets were from Janchenko’s Bakery, an Eastern European bakery in the Bloor-West village. The Ukrainian honey cake (Medovik) was to die for and like nothing I had ever tried. Coffee, cinnamon, chocolate and apple flavors in one neat package? Sign me up!
I hope you guys enjoyed just a taste of how beautiful the Ukrainian culture is. Hopefully you’ll think of them the next time you’re looking for something yummy to eat.
I’m leaving some credible links for donations and relief efforts below, in the hopes that we can end this conflict sooner rather than later:
The United Nations Refugee Agency (Helps displaced people find resources for support and rebuild their future) https://give.unhcr.ca/page/100190/don...
World Food Programme (Providing food in these tough times) https://www.wfp.org/support-us/storie...
Canada-Ukraine Foundation (Distributing blankets and food in Kyiv) https://www.cufoundation.ca/
Every effort helps! Thanks so much for watching and I’ll see you next time.
