Second charitable camp for newcomer Ukrainian refugee children

2023-09-20

147

Hartujs! This past May, a small but dedicated group of volunteers were faced with a difficult decision. Last year’s charitable camp for newcomer Ukrainian refugee children had been highly successful, but could it be repeated? Although the war in Ukraine was ongoing and newcomers from Ukraine to Canada were confronted with similar challenges to those who had arrived the year before, would there be enough interest and support from members of CYM and the wider Ukrainian community to once again host these kids? After much discussion, the group came to a decision: to trust in God and the generosity of CYM members and to do what CYM does best – camp!

And the Ukrainian community stepped up. With the financial support of the Canadian Ukrainian Foundation and many generous contributors, as well as through the herculean efforts of close to 50 volunteers, the decision came to life. For two weeks at the beginning of July, the second day camp for Ukrainian children fleeing Russian aggression took place at Veselka camp near Acton in Southern Ontario. The roughly 125 children who flooded the grounds that first day could have caused the staunchest heart to quail, but our volunteers didn’t flinch. Instead, they greeted the children with broad smiles and outstretched arms.

Each day parents brought their children to prearranged points in Toronto, Mississauga, Guelph and Hamilton. From there, buses transported them to Veselka. Once they were all onsite, they needed to be separated by age – not an easy task considering several of the youngest were not quite 5 years old. Most likely the colour-coded rubber bracelets used to keep track of things can still be found in little used nooks and crannies of the campground!

Morning assembly was a time to pray at the start of the camp day and to sing the Ukrainian and CYM anthems, to commemorate birthdays and name days and to make general announcements. Once this was done, the real fun could begin. Under the care of their group leaders, campers would scatter to various points in the grounds, where vykhovnyky would be waiting for them, well-armed with exciting, age-appropriate activities. Friendships blossomed within the groups, and the seasoned leaders quickly earned the trust of the children. Mandatory pool time cooled things down in the afternoon, and two snacks plus a hearty lunch kept energy levels at maximum.

Other daily activities varied from day to day. Orienteering with Danylo Darevych, one of our most faithful volunteers, proved a great hit, permitting campers to become familiar with every corner of their new camp home. All showed plenty of enthusiasm during music time, loudly singing favourite patriotic, Sich Riflemen and partisan songs. The lake of glue and hill of paper and other craft supplies allowed youngsters to fully express their imagination and creativity during craft time. English language classes, lessons describing Ukrainian life in Canada and nature classes gave the newcomers the opportunity to become more familiar with their new Canadian home, while sports, games and bantsy (a special treat!) channeled their boundless energy into manageable outlets.

Two very special field trips into Toronto were an opportunity for campers to better understand this new world into which they had suddenly been thrown. Both the Royal Ontario Музей and the Ontario Science Centre generously opened their doors to our campers and their guardians. The sea of red T-shirts must have puzzled many visitors to the sites; our leaders were called upon more than once to answer questions about the group which seemed to spread everywhere within the venues.

The last day of camp, buses picked up the children rather later than usual. No one was ready to leave quite yet, and baked potatoes with toppings and familiar songs around the campfire felt just right. The camp slideshow kept everyone on the lookout for their own picture, but, despite this, there were more than a few tears shed as the children boarded their buses. Left behind was only an unfamiliar silence, a mountain of forgotten clothing and distant memories of the energy and movement of those warm summer days.

The Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada expresses its sincere gratitude to all sponsors and individual donors who made it possible to organize this charity camp with their generous financial support. In particular, we would like to note the main sponsor the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

The Trillium Foundation, the BCU Foundation and BCU Financial, the Toronto Ukrainian Foundation, the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation, as well as numerous other foundations should also be noted for their princely financial support: Huculak Foundation, Temerty Foundation, Rodan Energy, Caravan Logistics Inc. Shlapak Family, as well as numerous gift-in-kind donors: Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Center and Rogers Communications.

Finally, we would like to once again acknowledge our dedicated volunteers who so generously donate their time to ensure the success of the camp! Our SINCERE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!