After more than a month of fundraising, a refugee fleeing Ukraine has come to our community thanks to Southgate Community Church.
Vika, a young woman the church has been working to evacuate from the country, arrived in Canada Saturday evening.
Richinda Bates, an organizer for the fundraiser, says Vika went with her on a short drive during her first day in our region.
“She chatted with me the whole way there and back using Google Translate and reading the English version to me,” Bates says. “She did very, very well!”
In a video update, Vika says she’s excited. “Thank you, friends, for helping me and my friends come to Canada,” she says. “I’m so happy to be here, and to be safe. Thank you.”
The church began raising the money in early March, and so far has raised more than $28,000.
Bates says more refugees are expected to arrive over the next few days. If you want to donate, you can find a link to the GoFundMe on the church’s Facebook page.
