Community News – Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko

2024 Youth Scholarships – applications due May 24th

The Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko is pleased to offer two types of scholarships for students between the ages of 16 and 20.

Type I – Post-Secondary Scholarship: For post-secondary study at an approved college or university in the amount of $750.
Type II – Cultural Scholarship: For the study of Ukrainian culture and/or language in an approved program to a maximum of $500.

We invite worthy candidates to review the application package at ivanfranko.ca/about-us/youth-scholarships/. A letter of reference is required from a school representative who could be a teacher, counsellor, or administrator. The application form for Type I or Type II must also be completed by the candidate.

The deadline for the application is Friday, May 24^th, 2024, for both types of scholarships. For questions and more information, please email us at info@ivanfranko.ca.

Housing needed for displaced Ukrainians

Volunteers needed for Ukrainian Helpine Service

S.U.C.C.E.S.S (a settlement service) is in the process of implementing a Helpline Service for Ukrainians needing emotional support as they begin their life in Canada. Volunteers for a Ukrainian Helpline service are needed – see below and click on “Read More” for information.

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ON HOLD: Furniture, Household Items, and Clothing Donations

Currently, we are not accepting furniture, household items and clothing donations. We don’t have the space to store items at this time. We are grateful for all the donations we received and have been able to share with newly arrived Displaced Ukrainians.

Volunteer Opportunity – Ukrainian Interpreters Needed

The Richmond School District is looking for Ukrainian interpreters to provide language support for parent-teacher conferences. A 5-session training will be provided for qualified candidates. Interested candidates can contact Sarah Zhao via email at szhao@sd38.bc.ca OR phone her at 604-358-4921.

Resource for Displaced Ukrainians

MOSAIC: Settlement and Employment Services for Newcomers share a helpful resource for Displaced Ukrainians and services they provide to assist. https://mosaicbc.org/our-resource/resources-for-ukrainians/

Help For CUAET Visa Holders Announcement

Prescription Costs – On Sep 23, the Ministry of Health announced that Ukrainians arriving in B.C. with a Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) can receive 100% coverage of eligible prescription costs for one year under PharmaCare’s Plan C. News Release

Medical Diagnostic Testing Costs for Displaced Ukrainians – On Oct 3, the Ministry of Health announced that as of October 1, the Ministry of Health will be managing payment for the medical diagnostic test for CUAET visa holders. This means that CUAET holders will not have to pay out of pocket for the test costs. Those who have already paid for the testing can be reimbursed. News Release

Hosting Immigrants From Ukraine

Many displaced Ukrainians are now arriving and are needing temporary accommodation until they find something more permanent. At this moment, we do not have enough community offers to accommodate all the new arrivals.

You can identify yourself with S.U.C.C.E.S.S who provide settlement services to new immigrants and refugees. Please contact Peggy Lau, Director of Settlement and Families Services at: peggy.@success.bc.ca if you are interested in helping Displaced Ukrainian individuals or families needing a temporary place to stay.

Another option is to go to the BC Government Welcome Ukraine website. Scroll down and you will see I want to help people from Ukraine. There you will see a list of options for how you can help.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the process or we can also help connect you to our contacts who are working on placing new immigrants with host families.

Conversational Ukrainian Language Classes

Are you interested in learning how to speak Ukrainian? Or, maybe you are a bit rusty and you would like to brush up on your speaking ability. Our Society is offering conversational Ukrainian classes for adults. If you are interested in joining, please email us at: info@ivanfranko.ca and indicate if your Ukrainian language proficiency is:

No proficiency to speak or understand the language
Beginning level of proficiency – some limited understanding of the Ukrainian language and limiited speaking ability
Intermediate proficiency – a reasonable ability to comprehend when others are speaking Ukrainian and speaking ability is workable but rusty
Advanced proficiency – very good understanding and speaking ability

We are keeping track of interest and will add classes based on demand. If we proceed with more classes, we’ll provide details regarding day/evening of the week, time, and cost. Classes will be located at our Centre in Richmond.

Request For Help From The Richmond Food Bank

The Food Bank is having an influx of Displaced Ukrainians signing up for their services during their Saturday distributions (10:40 am to 2:00 pm) and there is a significant language barrier.

The Food Bank is looking for two translators that are fluent in Ukrainian to assist with newly arrived Ukrainians accessing services. Please click on the following link if you are interested in volunteering:

https://richmondfoodbank.org/volunteer/