Russia continues its deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as it weaponizes winter. Missile and drone strikes have severely damaged the power network that hospitals, laboratories, and emergency services rely on every day.
Outages can last for hours or even a full day. But medical teams cannot pause their work.
Laboratories perform more than 1,000 diagnostic analyses daily. Emergency crews respond to calls in darkened buildings. Phones, life-saving equipment, and reporting systems all depend on electricity.
Through the support of Canadian donors and thanks to the partnership with New Use Energy (NUE) and the Mamay Charitable Foundation, the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Canada-Ukraine Foundation has been delivering multi-source batteries, generators, and uninterruptible power systems directly to medical facilities and EMS units in frontline regions. These are practical, durable solutions that keep critical services functioning when the grid fails.
As one health professional shares in this week’s video for our Powering urgent recovery campaign, “It doesn’t just help us. It saves us.”
Watch this week’s update to see how your support is keeping emergency care operational in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.
International support remains vital, but political commitments alone do not power a hospital ward. Reliable energy on the ground does.
To donate to our Powering urgent recovery campaign using AMEX, PayPal, or Google Pay, please visit our CanadaHelps page.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)
Founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.
Canadian sportscaster Gord Miller has called some of hockey’s most unforgettable moments. In Ukraine, he witnessed something just as powerful.
Through Canada-Ukraine Foundation hockey tours across Western Canada, funds were raised to deliver equipment, coaching, and ice time to communities enduring Russia’s invasion. When Gord travelled to Ukraine in 2023, he witnessed children and adults step onto the ice in gear made possible by Canadian donors.
During his visit, Gord was invited to accept recognition from the Ukrainian Parliament for the funds raised. What struck him most was not ceremony, but resolve – a country determined to recover.
Take a moment to watch Gord’s video.
For sixty minutes, the tension lifts.
For sixty minutes, routine returns.
For sixty minutes, mental strain eases.
This is not symbolic programming. It is mental health support in real time.
The psychological toll of war does not pause. Air raid sirens, displacement, uncertainty – they accumulate. Sport provides structure. Focus. Release. It helps stabilize communities under sustained stress.
Recovery is built together.
Powered by Ukrainian resilience. Fueled by Canadian generosity.
Act today for Ukraine’s future.
Support Ukraine’s long-term sustainability and recovery at cufoundation.ca
To donate to our Powering urgent recovery campaign using AMEX, PayPal, or Google Pay, please visit our CanadaHelps page.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)
Founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers
February 24 marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an escalation of a conflict that began with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and aggression in Eastern Ukraine in 2014. This past year has been among the hardest for Ukrainians.
Global attention has shifted. Political winds have changed. Critical infrastructure has been targeted repeatedly, leaving communities in the dark, without reliable power or clean water. Families continue to rebuild under strain. Veterans return home to lives forever altered. Every day demands endurance.
For many in the Ukrainian Canadian community, the war is not distant. It lives in phone calls, in names, in memories, in worry that never quite settles. Exhaustion is real. And yet, Ukrainians continue. They repair what is broken. They reopen schools. They clear land. They restore power. They rebuild not because it is easy, but because it must be done.
Recovery is not symbolic. It is the quiet, determined work that allows a country to stand.
Across these years, Canadian generosity has helped families endure what once seemed unendurable. It is not taken lightly. It is the reason recovery remains possible. Every single donation has the power to change someone’s life – not symbolically, but concretely.
A restored generator. A trauma support program. Clean water flowing again. A field made safe.
On this anniversary, we are reminded that solidarity cannot be seasonal. It must be sustained.
Your support to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation strengthens trusted, high-impact programs that help restore essential services, support veterans and civilians, and power long-term recovery. We cannot choose fatigue before they do. They endure the unimaginable. We can endure our commitment.
Stand with Ukraine.
Honour this day with a gift to our Powering urgent recovery campaign.
To donate to our Powering urgent recovery campaign using AMEX, PayPal, or Google Pay, please visit our CanadaHelps page.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)
Founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.
Canadian-Based Charity Surpasses $100 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion
News Release
OTTAWA (February 23, 2026) – On the eve of the 4th anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) calls on the Government of Canada to match, dollar-for-dollar, all private donations to CUF in 2026 to support its work in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.
CUF announced today that since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it has surpassed more than $100 million CAD in funds raised and deployed for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
Funds raised in Canada through the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, a joint initiative of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, have been deployed to date to support a broad range of humanitarian projects, including:
Food and water for displaced Ukrainians
Hygiene kits and blankets for refugees
Medical equipment
Home heating equipment
Power generators
Surgical missions with Canadian reconstructive physicians
Support to hospitals and medical infrastructure bombed by Russia
Civilian demining
Psychological and trauma support
“Recovery doesn’t start after a ceasefire. It is an ongoing process. Today. Every day. It can’t wait for the war to end.”
– Andrew Maleckyj, Chair of the Board of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation
“This war is a systematic violation of humans’ rights to live peacefully, speak their own language, go to school, run their business, enjoy their own culture and come home to their kids, safely and alive. It is a brutal attempt at ethnocide on a scale we have not seen in the West since the Second World War.”
– Valeriy Kostyuk, Executive Director of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation
“Russia’s bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure is forcing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to live without heat, electricity or water in the coldest winter on record. Russian terror against Ukrainian civilians must be met with a strong response from world leaders.”
– Alexandra Chyczij, National President, UCC
“The Ukrainian Canadian community expresses its solidarity and admiration for the courageous Ukrainian Armed Forces, who bravely defend their country and Ukrainian First Responders who work around the clock to restore power to Ukrainian cities. The severe humanitarian crisis caused by Russian bombing of Ukrainian civilians has created urgent needs to which the community here is working hard to respond.”
– Ihor Michalchyshyn, UCC CEO and Executive Director
“The destiny of democracy is unfolding on the battlefields of Ukraine. Supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity – or even just an act of solidarity. It’s enlightened self-interest. This war either stops in Ukraine, or it spreads deeper into Europe or over the Arctic. The sooner Russia is stopped, the lower the cost – in both lives and money.”
– Ihor Michalchyshyn, UCC CEO and Executive Director
“If average Canadians have been investing their own hard-earned after-tax dollars in supporting Ukraine – in the midst of an affordability crisis – we are asking the Government of Canada to do the same and match Canadians’ efforts, dollar-for-dollar, to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation in 2026.”
– Valeriy Kostyuk, Executive Director of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation
“Canada has become home for me since the full-scale invasion, but all my family is in Ukraine. This winter I went back for Christmas and a few days after I arrived nine missiles deliberately targeted the power plant in my city – there was not any heat, no light, no water and children knocked on our door begging for a cup of hot tea.”
– Marichka Bokovnia, displaced Ukrainian and documentary producer
“It’s one thing to prepare for war, it’s another to wake up to it. I was studying political science when my city was attacked and my hopes and dreams were shattered. From one day to the next, the wars I was learning about became a reality and my life took a completely different path. I am grateful to Canada for giving me a place to live and study in safety – but I will never take that safety for granted.”
– Sofiia Ringis, displaced Ukrainian and Ottawa-based student
Quick Facts
The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal was launched in January 2022 as a joint initiative by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in anticipation of massive humanitarian assistance need in the event Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal is managed by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. Within four days of the full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation started to deploy critical humanitarian supplies into Ukraine to help civilians impacted by Russia’s war.
Over the four years since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion against Ukraine, CUF has raised and deployed more than $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
The majority of these funds have been raised from Canadians at-large, with no ancestral link to Ukraine, demonstrating broad public support for assistance to Ukraine.
The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has supported more than seven million people through over 400 projects implemented with partners on the ground in Ukraine.
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is a registered charity under the laws of Canada and has been operating since 1995.
Starting in March, a special screening tour of the Ukrainian documentary Second Wind will take place across the country. The film tells the story of five Ukrainian heroes: four veterans with lower-limb amputations and an active-duty servicewoman who climbed Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
They journeyed from pain and doubt to self-acceptance, new purpose, and a renewed sense of inner strength. Second Wind portrays not only a physical challenge, but also a profound inner transformation, reminding us that life after injury can be filled with meaning, challenges, and victories.
Screening Dates & Cities:
March 4 — Toronto
March 5 — Ottawa
March 6 — Montreal
March 7 — Winnipeg
March 8 — Regina
March 9 — Saskatoon
March 10 — Edmonton
March 11 — Calgary
March 12 — Kelowna
March 13 — Vancouver
March 14 — Victoria
Following each screening, there will be a live discussion with members of the Second Wind team, including:
• Oleksandr Pedan — producer and host of the project
• Vladyslav “Shatya” Shatil — film protagonist and veteran
The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and hear personal stories about the journey from injury to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
The Canadian special screenings of Second Wind carry a charitable mission. Proceeds from ticket sales will support the rehabilitation of Ukrainian veterans through initiatives of the Canada–Ukraine Foundation, which funds comprehensive physical and mental health rehabilitation programs for Ukrainian heroes.
By attending a screening, you are not only experiencing a powerful cultural event but also making a meaningful contribution to the recovery of Ukraine’s defenders.
Life goes on. Victory is possible — no matter what. Join us and become part of this history.
Founded in 1995 during the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, and deliver humanitarian assistance from Canadians to Ukraine. CUF continues to play a vital role as a national charitable foundation, working to monitor, promote, and support humanitarian aid initiatives. Its mission includes evaluating projects, fostering collaboration among aid providers, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. CUF also serves as a forum for individuals and organizations—across community, private, and public sectors—committed to supporting Ukraine. In addition to its work abroad, CUF also supports related initiatives within Canada.
Four years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years later, the consequences of that war are felt in every corner of the country. Homes, hospitals, clinics, and communities have endured years of relentless strain. Millions of civilians have been displaced, injured, or torn from the lives they knew. And while Ukrainians have shown the world what resilience truly looks like, resilience alone cannot sustain a nation. It must be matched with sustained action.
As the world has turned its attention to the feats of endurance and recovery unfolding at the Olympic Games, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) launches its Powering urgent recovery campaign, a reminder that resilience is measured not only in moments of performance, but in the strength to recover, rebuild and restore. Just as athletes depend on rehabilitation, training, and support teams to return stronger, Ukraine’s long-term sustainability and recovery require commitment today and beyond the immediate crisis.
CUF’s campaign message is reinforced in videos featuring Canadian sportscaster Gord Miller, whose voice connects the language of sport with the reality of recovery. His collaboration underscores a shared understanding among Canadians following the Games: progress and resilience are built through perseverance, teamwork, and the collective support of a broader community.
At this defining moment, on the global stage of sport and in Ukraine’s path forward, recovery powers the next chapter.
Like an athlete returning from injury, getting back on one’s feet takes more than pushing through the pain. It takes time, care, and the right support system to rebuild strength. Ukraine’s recovery demands the same long-term investment today in healthcare systems, physical and mental health rehabilitation for civilians and veterans, energy infrastructure, demining efforts, and the economic foundations that allow communities to grow and thrive despite Russia’s daily aggression.
Through CUF’s trusted network of partners on the ground, your donation will fund urgent high-impact programs that deliver real results where they matter most. These are not short-term fixes. They are the foundations of a Ukraine that is stronger, more stable, and more resilient today and for generations to come.
Canada has stood with Ukraine from the beginning. CUF’s Powering urgent recovery campaign, which runs until April 9, is an opportunity to deepen that commitment at a moment when it matters most. When Canadian generosity meets Ukrainian strength, lasting recovery is not just possible, it becomes unstoppable.
Join us in powering Ukraine’s sustainable recovery.
To donate to our Powering urgent recovery campaign using AMEX, PayPal, or Google Pay, please visit our CanadaHelps page.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)
Founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s commitment to civil society initiatives has always centered on supporting organizations that strengthen democratic governance, transparency, and accountability in Ukraine, while documenting Russia’s crimes against humanity. We invite you to be part of an important artistic and humanitarian initiative that embodies these values.
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. EDT (6:30 p.m. Kyiv time), the Lviv National Philharmonic will present “MARIUPOL. City of Mary.”, a concert-requiem commemorating the victims of the Mariupol Drama Theatre bombing on March 16, 2022, when hundreds of civilians, including many children, lost their lives in a Russian aerial attack.
The concert will bring together the National Academic Male Choir “DUDARYK,” the Lviv Virtuosi Academic Chamber Orchestra, and renowned Ukrainian soloists in a powerful program featuring the ballad “DE TY: Where Are You?” by Professor Leo Wolansky, created in memory of the children killed in Mariupol.
All proceeds support organizations dedicated to Ukrainian children, including Voices of Children, Save Ukraine, and UMANA, which work to address the trauma of war and advocate for the return of Ukrainian children from Russian captivity.
ONLINE PARTICIPATION
🗓️ Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. EDT (6:30 p.m. Kyiv time)
Let this music become an act of resistance. By joining the Canada-Ukrainian Foundation and other partners, you help ensure that the tragedy of Mariupol is not forgotten and that these organizations continue their crucial work protecting Ukraine’s most vulnerable citizens.
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s efforts help strengthen Ukraine’s civil society infrastructure and advance fundamental human rights protections for all Ukrainians, particularly vulnerable and at-risk populations. Together, let’s make human rights a reality for Ukrainians, every day.
Founded in 1995 during the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, and deliver humanitarian assistance from Canadians to Ukraine. CUF continues to play a vital role as a national charitable foundation, working to monitor, promote, and support humanitarian aid initiatives. Its mission includes evaluating projects, fostering collaboration among aid providers, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. CUF also serves as a forum for individuals and organizations—across community, private, and public sectors—committed to supporting Ukraine. In addition to its work abroad, CUF also supports related initiatives within Canada.
Aid for Artists, established in March 2022, ensures that Ukrainian artists and cultural workers can continue to create, document, and share Ukraine’s story with the world. A project of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation(CUF), it provides the credibility, infrastructure, and secure funding needed to reach artists working under extraordinary conditions.
We invite you to watch this short video from Ann Semotiuk, a member of CUF’s Board of Directors and Chair of its Governance Committee, to learn more about how Aid for Artists is helping keep Ukrainian culture alive.
About Aid for Artists
In 2024, Aid for Artists supported nine artistic projects across photography, filmmaking, folk arts, visual arts, music, and dance and circus arts. More than $77,000 was granted directly to work carried out in Ukraine. This support translated into employment, completed works, international reach, and cultural continuity.
The impact is tangible. Documentary filmmakers completed post-production with teams in Ukraine, directly supporting local professionals. Musicians reached more than 200,000 listeners worldwide and performed in Kharkiv, where Ukrainian culture is urgently needed. Each project ensured that art continued where silence is the goal of aggression.
This work is sustained by community. Cultural initiatives such as the upcoming Toronto Ukrainian Film Festival, the 2025 Toronto Bandura Festival, and many other cultural events demonstrate how culture functions as both resistance and legacy.
CUF is deeply grateful to all the organizations and individual donors whose support for Aid for Artists has been vital through personal contributions and other forms of generosity. Every effort is valued and truly appreciated.
CUF would like to offer heartfelt thanks to the following ensembles and cultural institutions that have hosted events in support of Aid for Artists from coast to coast:
Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School, Mississauga
Folk Camp Canada, Toronto
Friends of the Ukrainian Folklore Centre, Edmonton
Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral Choir, Vancouver
Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir, Edmonton
Kazka Entertainment, Toronto
Kosa Folk Arts, Toronto
OCAD Ukrainian Student’s Union, Toronto
Orchestre classique de Montréal, Montreal
Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble Corp, Saskatoon
Sadok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Vernon
The Canadian Tank Museum, Oshawa
Toronto Bandura Festival, Toronto
Toronto Bandura School, Toronto
Toronto Ukrainian Film Festival
Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Society, Calgary
Ukrainian Academy of Dance, Toronto
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America
Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch, Toronto
Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers Society – School of Dance, Calgary
Zorya Ukrainian Dance Association, Thunder Bay
Aid for Artists is more than an emergency response. It is a long-term commitment to resilience, cultural survival, and the rebuilding Ukraine’s creative sector for the future.
If you are planning a cultural event in support of CUF’s Aid for Artists fund, we invite you to connect with our team at [email protected]. You may also provide a direct donation to Aid for Artists by clicking the button below.
Founded in 1995 during the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, and deliver humanitarian assistance from Canadians to Ukraine. CUF continues to play a vital role as a national charitable foundation, working to monitor, promote, and support humanitarian aid initiatives. Its mission includes evaluating projects, fostering collaboration among aid providers, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. CUF also serves as a forum for individuals and organizations—across community, private, and public sectors—committed to supporting Ukraine. In addition to its work abroad, CUF also supports related initiatives within Canada.
As our “A Little Holiday Magic Goes a Long Way” Holiday Campaign ended on January 12, we simply want to say thank you for helping bring light to Ukrainians this winter.
Since November 28, thousands of donors and supporters came together in an extraordinary way. In addition to the powerful donation matching programs by Barbara Crook & Dan Greenberg, The Danbe Foundation on Giving Tuesday and by the Myhal Family Foundation since December 9 —over $3.5 million was raised in support of the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s joint initiative with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress!
As temperatures remain bitterly cold and Russia’s attacks on critical energy infrastructure continue, this is not just a number. These funds are already being directed toward urgent humanitarian assistance to help ensure that Ukrainians have heat, food, clean water, medical care and the basic necessities they need to survive the coldest months of the year as they live under constant threat.
Lighting the way
Such an incredible result comes from the generosity of thousands of donors — every gift, no matter the size, played a vital role in reaching families across Ukraine. We are deeply grateful to each and every one of you who stood with Ukraine this holiday season. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary outpouring of Canadian compassion.
In addition to the thousands of generous gifts that powered this campaign, we wish to recognize the following donors whose contributions of $30,000 and more helped accelerate our humanitarian response. Their generosity strengthened a movement built by our entire community:
Myhal Family Foundation
Walsh Foundation
Martha Jaciw (in memory of Dr. George Jaciw)
Wheeler Family Foundation
Barbara Crook & Dan Greenberg, The Danbe Foundation
Anonymous donors (2)
Sharing a little holiday magic, thanks to Zirkova and Meest Canada
We are also delighted to announce the two donors who were randomly selected and will receive the Holiday Campaign gifts generously offered by our partners Zirkova and Meest Canada — a small gesture of thanks that carries our deepest appreciation for their solidarity with Ukraine. We have shared the happy news with them!
Kathyfrom Toronto will receive an exclusiveMeest Canada VIP gift package including complimentary shipments to eligible destinations.
Gregory from Montreal will receive a festive Box of Favourite Things from Zirkova, featuring items curated by the founders, John and Katherine Vellinga.
From all of us at the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and our colleagues at the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, please know that your kindness is felt far beyond our borders. At a time when hope can feel fragile, you help keep it alive through the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Thank you for standing with Ukraine when it matters most and making a little holiday magic really go a long way!
Even though our Holiday Campaign has ended, the needs in Ukraine have not. The country is facing its worst energy crisis yet this winter as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s power generating capacity.
As Ukrainians endure days without electricity in brutal cold, your donation can help keep the lights and heat on.
Make a difference today by supporting the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Launched in January 2022 as a joint initiative of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) coordinates the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its efforts support displaced persons, medical care, emergency shelter, and food security—both within Ukraine and among those who have sought refuge elsewhere in Europe and in Canada. To date, UHA has provided close to $100 million in humanitarian aid, reaching over 6 million people through 300+ projects.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation
Founded in 1995 during the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, and deliver humanitarian assistance from Canadians to Ukraine. CUF continues to play a vital role as a national charitable foundation, working to monitor, promote, and support humanitarian aid initiatives. Its mission includes evaluating projects, fostering collaboration among aid providers, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. CUF also serves as a forum for individuals and organizations—across community, private, and public sectors—committed to supporting Ukraine. In addition to its work abroad, CUF also supports related initiatives within Canada.
During 2025, Ukraine experienced over 19,000 air alerts and had only four days without attacks from Russian drones and missiles. On New Year’s night, while the world was celebrating and exchanging best wishes, 205 drones struck critical civilian and energy infrastructure in Ukraine, plunging many regions into darkness once again.
Our fundraising in support the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal began on November 28, and you have met “Olena” and her son through our Holiday Campaign. Although she is a fictitious composite character, her story resonates because it represents the real experiences of so many Ukrainians this winter.
Outside, fresh snow falls — soft, peaceful, beautiful. Inside, Olena’s home is silent and dark.
For her family, the holidays arrived without warmth or glow. No twinkling lights. No long family dinners catching up with relatives and laughing around the table. The attacks continued through Christmas. Winter has set in with cold walls and colder mornings.
It is −15 °C. At 6:12 a.m., the power briefly returns at Olena’s. She doesn’t celebrate, she and her son move quickly. Her neighbourhood has been allocated just two hours of electricity, part of hourly rolling blackouts meant to fairly distribute what little power remains.
The kettle goes on to prepare tea and coffee to fill the thermoses. She plugs in the phones, the power banks, the flashlight she keeps by her bed. Hot water is a welcome luxury when the lights are on, as are quick showers.
While she and her son snuggle in their sweaters and hats, the news report shares what she already knows: attacks on Ukraine’s gas and energy infrastructure have increased, targeting power plants and electricity transmission systems.
At 8:09 a.m., the lights flicker. By 8:12, everything goes dark again.
The rest of the day is spent conserving batteries, seeking out generators, quickly checking the news on social media, and listening for air raid sirens. Managing winter one powerless hour at a time.
The holidays reminded us that light can begin with a simple gesture. Canadians place a profound trust in the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, and that trust allows us to reach people in Ukraine with care, dignity, and compassion.
In a season filled with small miracles, your generosity becomes one of them. Your gift can warm a home, sustain a clinic through a blackout, or bring comfort to a parent trying to protect their child from the harshness of winter. Hope may be fragile, but when shared, it becomes strong enough to carry across an ocean.
The Holiday Campaign ends today — but winter in Ukraine does not.
Your donation will support the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our joint initiative with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
Your gift can help restore warmth, light, medical care, and dignity.
Because no one should have to plan their life around a few hours of electricity.
Launched in January 2022 as a joint initiative of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) coordinates the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its efforts support displaced persons, medical care, emergency shelter, and food security—both within Ukraine and among those who have sought refuge elsewhere in Europe and in Canada. To date, UHA has provided close to $100 million in humanitarian aid, reaching over 6 million people through 300+ projects.
About the Canada-Ukraine Foundation
Founded in 1995 during the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) was established to coordinate, develop, and deliver humanitarian assistance from Canadians to Ukraine. CUF continues to play a vital role as a national charitable foundation, working to monitor, promote, and support humanitarian aid initiatives. Its mission includes evaluating projects, fostering collaboration among aid providers, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. CUF also serves as a forum for individuals and organizations—across community, private, and public sectors—committed to supporting Ukraine. In addition to its work abroad, CUF also supports related initiatives within Canada.
