As more and more Ukrainian resettlers join our community, a wide variety of local organizations continue to help them adjust.
Dopomoha means help in Ukrainian and the Dopomoha Donation Depot is doing just that.
The depot is entirely volunteer-based and collects donations from the public; everything from clothing and child necessities to furniture and house essentials.
“The Ukrainian community and Regina residents at-large has really risen to help with the very difficult situation Ukrainians are facing. With a new wave now landed, and many coming in between the humanitarian flights, we are accumulating and continuing to provide as much as we can,” says Dana Lesiuk with the Depot.
The depot recently opened a new location in the REAL District with the help of their volunteers, officials from the Real District, and some Ukrainian newcomers.
Now, the depot has a warehouse location for furniture and bedding, a clothing and accessories boutique spot, and a housewares outlet.
“Each place is a great fit for what they contain. Finding a space large enough to contain everything is difficult, but with the extra effort that we put in to make these locations work, it helps to give the best impression and comfort to arriving newcomers,” says Lesiuk.
Items at the depot have a quick turn over and they are in constant need of restocking.
“Always seem to need the same things replenished quickly like great condition furniture, common tools like hammers, screwdrivers, can-openers, etc., hairdryers, iron or steamers, new bedding, flat-screen TVs. We are full with most clothing except we are in need of winter parkas, gloves, ski pants, and men’s jeans and pants size 32, 34, 36,” says Lesiuk.
She did note that they’re always looking for smaller furniture since the resettlers typically are moving into smaller places. They’re asking for flat-screen TVs because tube TVs don’t work with their technology.
They also cannot accept broken, ripped, or stained items.
The depot is currently very full of things like tupperware, mugs, stuffed animals, and plates.
Since the doors opened earlier this year, the depot has seen over 750 resettlers come through and they’re expecting much more as humanitarian flights continue to land until March.
Lesiuk shares that the reactions from Ukrainian newcomers to the depot have been positively overwhelming. Newcomers become overjoyed with the support from the community.
“They have been extremely grateful and really surprised when they come and hear so much English spoken everywhere amongst the volunteers while they are working. Newcomers express their gratitude via facebook posts that Canadians are being so generous and helpful to them, as to put such valued efforts towards this initiative,” says Lesiuk.
More information about drop-off times and locations can be found on their Facebook page.
