Local Groups Ready to Support Deadline-Driven Newcomers Arriving from Ukraine
by Bob Montgomery
A March 31 deadline looms for Ukrainians escaping the conflict in their country.
March 31 is the date the Canadian government has issued for all Ukrainians entering the country on a special temporary three-year open work visa to be eligible for various support.
Local groups are anticipating an increase of newcomers arriving in Huron County in March. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in January 2022, dozens of Ukrainian families have arrived in Canada and settled in Huron County. The Ukrainian families have been supported by volunteers who have welcomed new arrivals into their homes for short-term stays and were supported by a number of local service providers to find work, acquire official documents and enrol in schools.
Many organizations have played important roles in supporting Ukrainian newcomers as they have arrived in Huron County. Volunteers at the Goderich Lions Club set up the Huron Area Newcomer Fund to provide newcomers with financial assistance for unforeseen or emergency needs. Since the Fund was formed, more than $25,000 has been distributed to support 79 individuals – helping families pay dental bills, purchase eye glasses, cover the cost of getting a driver’s licence, and fund medical appointments required to meet immigration requirements, among other needs.
“While our fund started with the intention of meeting the financial needs of newcomers from Ukraine, we were intentional in ensuring that any newcomer who had settled in Huron County could apply for funds within their first 18 months in Canada,” explained John Maaskant, the chair of the Huron Area Newcomer Fund.
“We established a process that identified what costs could be covered through our fund, how much a single family could apply for, set up an application system and a group of seven volunteers reviewed applications as they arrived,” Maaskant added.
The Huron Area Newcomer Fund has been able to operate due to donations from private individuals, other service clubs, faith organizations and the Sunset Foundation. “We continue to seek donations to ensure that newcomers transitioning to life in Huron County are supported and their settlement is as smooth as possible,” Maaskant said.
More information about the Huron Area Newcomer Fund can be found on the Goderich Lions Club website at https://www.goderichlions.ca/donate.
