There’s a new effort to support people coming from Ukraine as they settle into life in Calgary.
It comes thanks to a local charity agency that’s helped a lot of new arrivals get off to a good start.
The Women In Need Society (WINS) provides employment training for its clients, including recent immigrants.
It’s now preparing to offer that training to people coming to Calgary after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“They are coming with next to nothing, coming here without jobs,” WINS program manager Paul Bartell said.
“We want to help them from square one… finding a job and rebuilding a life.”
WINS will provide six-week training programs in retail and warehouse work.
“We would be thrilled to have Ukrainians join those programs,” Bartell said. “And we have employers who align with those programs who will be keen to hire.”
WINS is also collecting things like clothes and household items for Ukrainians coming to Calgary.
Dianne Dyck arrived at the WINS downtown thrift shop on Tuesday with several donations for Ukrainian families.
“I bought Barbie dolls and made outfits for them,” Dyck said. “They lost everything. They’ve lost their homes, their toys — and toys are so important to kids.”
Dyck also put her crafting skills to work to bring warmth to Ukrainians coming to the city.
“I have made a number of afghans in the Ukrainian flag colours and I hope it offers them some comfort,” Dyck added.
Bartell said that Dyck and many other donors are showing the generous spirit that Calgary is known for.
“Seeing how Calgarians are stepping up, it’s fantastic,” Bartell said.
The WINS employment training programs could also bring benefits to the organization itself, Bartell added.
“Some of the Ukrainians could end up working here,” Bartell said. “That would be fantastic.”