Maple Ridge deli raising money to help Ukrainian orphans

A Maple Ridge deli is collecting money to help a group of orphans in the Ukraine reach safety.

Euro Food and Deli on 119 Avenue, sister store to A Taste of Ukraine that has locations in Port Moody and Burnaby, will be selling perogies and collecting donations to raise funds to help 27 orphans get out of Mariupol to a safe location in Lviv.

Julia Ivanyuk, co-owner of A Taste of Ukraine, explained they have volunteers on the ground in Ukraine who reach out to her when they find people in need of help.

Transporting the orphaned children has been a couple of weeks in the making, she said.

“The Russian army was not allowing to transport anybody out of Mariupol. And luckily our volunteers were able to come to a compromise that they would not take any adults, they won’t take any males over the age of 16. They are only going to transport children under that and most of them are females,” explained Ivanyuk.

Ivanyuk was told a bus would be picking up the children, aged newborn to 16 years, on Wednesday, April 6, and bringing them to Lviv, where they have secured a couple of empty buildings that they have received permission from the owners to house the children there temporarily for free.

“But they need help with fuel and to feed them,” explained Ivanyuk.So, money raised will be going to transportation costs and food for a month for the group, which is estimated at $2,000.

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Ivanyuk and her team including a couple of staff members who have close contacts with people on the ground in Ukraine, have also raised money for diapers, formula, medication, and other basic necessities. Ivanyuk said people are desperate for infant supplies.

People can donate by purchasing perogies at the deli, Ivanyuk noted, however, all of the delis are donating a portion of their income to help the people.

“We’re donating left right and centre. We are going to make sure we reach that $2,000 mark,” she said.

Euro Food and Deli is located at 22638 119 Avenue, unit 108.

For more information call 604-477-1930.