At Sts. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral on McGregor Street, Pastor Ihor Shlev is preparing for Sunday’s Orthodox Easter breakfast – a traditional Ukrainian meal that will serve members of the congregation, the majority of which are Ukrainian refugees.
“It’s almost full,” he said. “We have more than 160 people.”
On top of providing an opportunity for newcomers to connect, Shlev knows the meal fills another need in his community – the need for affordable food. Sunday’s breakfast is free of charge, providing some relief to those just starting out in Manitoba.
Harvest Manitoba told 680 CJOB that around 650 of their new clients this March were Ukrainian refugees. Manitoba has received at least 20,000 Ukrainian refugees since Russia invaded in February 2022, and the province has processed more than 17,200 health cards.
Two of those newcomers are Oleksandr and Halyna Sirak, a retired couple who arrived in September 2022 from Odesa. The food bank was a lifeline for them when they first arrived.
“Health-wise, we aren’t able to work, so we are very grateful that we are able to use the food bank,” Halyna told Global News through a translator.
The federal government’s Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) allows newcomers to apply for a one-time payment of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child to help pay for essentials upon arrival.
But as food prices continue to rise, Shlev says many Ukrainian newcomers he meets need to turn to food banks for support.
“People are trying to get any help that they can, and food is basic,” he said.
Shlev said many newcomers in his community struggle to find gainful employment due to language barriers.
“Even if you received some support from the government, even if you have some savings, you are still afraid. What will happen in one month if I will not find a job? And a lot of people are coming with those fears,” he said.
Shlev says congregation members gather in the parish hall after service on Sundays for tea and cookies, with church members bringing baking and food to share. The Siraks say their community is eager to help out once they’ve landed on their feet, and that finding a job is the key.
“We also notice that a lot of people that were here previously no longer come because they have gotten work,” Oleksandr said of the food bank through a translator.
Shlev hopes to start a small food bank at the church to meet the need of his growing congregation – it is five times the size it was just a year ago, and nearly all the new members are Ukrainian refugees. He hopes Sunday’s meal offers some hope and help for the community.
“It’s not just about the food,” he said. “Food is important, but being together, having somebody next to you, talking to someone is really something that means a lot.”
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