The Ukrainian Canadian Social Services branch in Vancouver has certainly not been idle, especially during the summer of 2022.
Under the direction of its president, Tsawwassen resident Roman Sawycky UCSS - Vancouver forged an alliance with Rotary World Help, an affiliate of Rotary Clubs International to access surplus hospital equipment throughout B.C. and load it onto shipping containers for transport to Ukraine.
Since 2016 and up to the shipment in August 2022, UCSS - Vancouver has loaded and sent 19 containers full of medical supplies to Ukraine including hospital beds (with mattresses and linens), x-ray machines, operating tables, wheelchairs (both electric and manual), walkers and ultrasound machines. Critically, Ukraine has received five of these containers since the Russian invasion in February.
The invasion of Ukraine has resulted in thousands of military and civilian injuries and dramatically increased the urgency of supplying medical materials to Ukraine.
In early July, again in conjunction with Rotary World Help, UCSS - Vancouver helped to fill a shipping container with materials essential for hospitals to treat the wounded.
As a result of the war, fundraising for humanitarian relief efforts stepped up across Canada and throughout the Lower Mainland.
Shipping a container overseas to Ukraine can cost in the vicinity of $15,000. The journey is long and involves coordinating a number of logistical steps: first the container goes by truck from the initial loading site to the Port of Vancouver where it's loaded onto a train; from there it's shipped by rail to Halifax, where it's then loaded on a ship and sails across the Atlantic, first to a German port and then continues on to a Polish port where it is loaded onto a truck and is driven to Ukraine.
Before permanently settling in Tsawwassen, Sawycky worked in Ukraine for many years and has built up a network of trusted people upon whom he can call for assistance.
UCSS-Vancouver is continuing its cooperation with Rotary World Help and is working to gather needed medical equipment, hoping to send at least another three containers to “Hospitals in Ukraine are desperate for beds for injured service people and civilians,” said Sawycky. “Fraser Health has approximately 400 beds, which it can donate, but the problem is the cost of shipping. We have to pay each of the various transportation companies for every step of the way, from the warehouse loading dock in Vancouver all the way through to Ukraine. It's not cheap and costs are increasing.”
UCSS-Vancouver, as a branch of Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Inc of Canada, is able to issue tax receipts for any donations received. UCSS-Vancouver's mailing address is: UCSS - Vancouver, 246-7610 Evans Road, Chilliwack, B.C., V2R-2Z5.
-submitted by Lev Romanyshyn
