Category: News

Today, we celebrate the True North strong and free—a nation built on the values of freedom, democracy, and unwavering compassion for those in need. As fireworks light up our skies from coast to coast, let’s take a moment to reflect on what makes us proudly Canadian: our steadfast commitment to justice, generosity, and standing up for what’s right—no matter how far from home.

For 158 years, Canada has been a beacon of hope in the world. Our story is deeply intertwined with Ukraine’s. On December 2, 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence. Today, nearly 1.4 million Canadians can trace their roots to Ukraine, with the earliest recorded immigrants having arrived in 1891. Settling with little more than their determination, work ethic, and love of freedom, they helped build our railways, settle our prairies, and shape the multicultural nation we celebrate today. 

On Saturday, June 28, Ukraine celebrated Constitution Day. While we gather with family and friends in the safety of our communities, Ukrainian families are still fighting for the basic rights we hold dear. Overnight on June 29, Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a brutal reminder that the struggle for freedom, democracy, and national sovereignty continues daily for millions of Ukrainians. 

This Canada Day, show the world what Canadian generosity truly means. From sea to sea, proud Canadians are already stepping up and are proving that when freedom is threatened anywhere, Canadians answer the call. Your support continues this proud tradition, delivering life-saving aid and hope to those who need it most.

As part of our Canada Day campaign, we are offering exclusive rewards through our partnership with Saint Javelin, the Canadian brand founded in 2022.

The first 10 donors who commit to a monthly donation of $100 for one year will receive an ultra-exclusive pin forged from recycled artillery shells from Ukraine’s frontlines. The first 200 donors will secure a special edition patch made in Ukraine.

This Canada Day, let’s do what Canadians do best—stand together for freedom, democracy, and justice. Help Ukraine. Honour Canada.

Your donation today can help return more children like Serhii to safety and care

Seventeen-year-old Serhii survived interrogations by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) that left him prone to panic attacks. He lived through drone attacks and shelling in a combat zone. When a shell destroyed his home, his family moved in with strangers. He studied secretly at a Ukrainian school through his mobile phone, constantly terrified Russian soldiers would discover the content and torture him.

At checkpoints in his temporarily occupied hometown, Russian troops mocked him as a “zhdun”—someone who is waiting for Ukraine’s return —because he refused a Russian passport. When forced military conscription intensified near his 17th birthday, Serhii knew his time was running out.

That’s when Save Ukraine stepped in.

Our partner, Save Ukraine, rescues children from Russian-occupied territories and Russia itself. Every rescue operation is unique. Every child’s situation demands a different approach. For Serhii, it meant carefully coordinating safe passage across multiple borders while he carried the emotional trauma of three years under temporary occupation.

Save Ukraine’s team works tirelessly to navigate the complex, dangerous logistics of each rescue. They understand that children like Serhii aren’t statistics. They’re teenagers who’ve been stripped of their childhood, forced into Russian schools, threatened with military service, and deeply traumatized by occupation. 

The work is painstaking. Each rescue requires extensive planning, secure communication, safe houses, and expertise in navigating hostile territory. No two cases are the same.

Right now, children like Serhii still remain trapped and urgently need your help. Some are hiding to avoid forced conscription.  Others have been separated from their families or are being subjected to indoctrination in Russian schools. With each passing day, their safety—and their future—is at greater risk. 

Our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign ends in 48 hours. Your support funds these life-saving operations—the coordination, safe houses and careful planning that brings children home to safety, as well as the long-term psychological rehabilitation and care they need once they return. Serhii’s story shows what your generosity can accomplish.

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About us

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.

Students in Toronto Raise their Voices for Ukrainian Children

With just days left in our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign, we turn to voices that cut straight to the heart of why every donation counts. The students at Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Catholic School in Toronto don’t need complex explanations about why Ukraine’s stolen children matter. “If I were them, I would really want people to help me,” one student explains simply. “I just think kids should be reunited with their families and just be safe and Ukrainian.”

These young people understand what’s happening to children forced to hold weapons, told their families are dead, and punished for being Ukrainian. All JCS students, whether Ukrainian, Canadian, or from other backgrounds, recognize that what’s happening “just isn’t right.” What drives them is the belief that children deserve to be safe at home with their loved ones, free to enjoy their childhood —and they’re channeling that conviction into making posters, spreading awareness, and fundraising.

Watch these students explain their commitment in their own words. Their moral clarity cuts through complexity—no politics, just the understanding that every child deserves safety and the chance to remain who they are.

Donate today to support our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign before its June 23 deadline.

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About us

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.

Every Child Deserves a Future — You Can Help Bring Them Home

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken — separated from their families and sent to Russia, held in so-called “re-education” camps, or placed with Russian foster families in temporarily occupied territories. 

Their childhoods have been stolen. Their identities are being systematically erased. But hope is growing, thanks to Save Ukraine. 

We have witnessed remarkable success through our vital partnership with this Ukrainian-led organization. Together, through your generosity and the support, we have funded the rescue missions of 12 children from Russian captivity.

To date, more than 683 Ukrainian children — including nearly 150 orphans — have been brought home. Save Ukraine has developed a robust, highly specialized system for identifying, locating, rescuing, and rehabilitating abducted children. No two missions are the same. Each one is carefully planned and executed in total secrecy, tailored to the unique risks and circumstances of each child. Once rescued, each child receives psychological, medical, and social support to begin their healing journey alongside their families.

With your support in these final days of our campaign, Save Ukraine will be able to rescue more children from captivity, and provide them and their families with the care they urgently need to recover and reintegrate.

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s “Every Child Deserves a Future” campaign ends June 23. But for these children, the future is just beginning — if we act now.

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About us

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.

Last December, something extraordinary happened in the halls of Toronto’s Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Catholic School. Grade 5 students led the initiative to create a fundraiser to bring Ukrainian children stolen by Russia back home—and raised $13,550 for the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and Save Ukraine.

For over two weeks, JCS students transformed their school into a fundraising powerhouse. Paper gingerbread men decorated by donors filled the hallways. Student-made posters lined the walls. The momentum built toward their Christmas concert, complete with silent auction and bake sale, with every cent going to rescue efforts.

This wasn’t just their first attempt at helping Ukraine’s children—it was their third major fundraiser since the war began, demonstrating the school’s sustained commitment to the cause.

These efforts did more than raise funds—they became a powerful learning experience. Through empathy and action, students connected with the Ukrainian culture, understood the realities of war, and embraced what it means to be part of a global community.

Watch teachers and administrators reflect on how this initiative brought joy, unity and purpose to the school.

These Grade 5 students understood that Ukrainian children like Dayana and Denys aren’t distant statistics—they’re peers who deserve freedom. Their fundraiser embodied the Ukrainian spirit: when one of us suffers, we all respond. 

As our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign approaches its June 23 deadline, these students challenge us all. If children can organize and sustain three years of fundraising for their stolen peers in Ukraine, surely we can rise to the occasion too.

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About us

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.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk has a powerful message about the Ukrainian children who desperately need our help.

As an Indigenous and Canadian-Ukrainian artist, Chantal understands what it means to have your cultural identity threatened. Over 19,000 Ukrainian children have been affected by Russia’s violent war and forced abductions in a systematic effort to erase their language and cultural identity.

“There is such great importance in teaching children that who they are is exactly perfect,” shares Chantal. “The thought of a child starting life at such a deficit is really tragic.”

Children like Dayana, forced to sing the Russian anthem in a “rest camp,” or Denys, a diabetic teenager whose life-sustaining insulin needs were ignored when he was taken to a “recreational camp” in Crimea. These children represent thousands more facing systematic attempts to strip away everything that makes them Ukrainian and feeling safe.

Your donation to our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign helps fund rescue missions that reunite children with their families and homeland, where they can reclaim their identity and their rightful place in Ukraine’s future.

Watch Chantal’s message and help us bring more Ukrainian children home.

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About us

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.

What does victory look like for a child in wartime Ukraine? 

Sometimes it’s as simple as turning on a tap and watching clean water flow.

Last month, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, working alongside Rebuild Our Ukraine (REUA), the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and other partners, delivered something extraordinary to the Mykolaiv region in Ukraine: two mobile water purification stations that now deliver clean drinking water to over 60,000 people. This includes children fighting cancer at the Regional Oncology Center and young patients at the Children’s Clinical Hospital (Center for Pediatric Rehabilitation and Palliative Care).

These advanced ReH₂O systems represent more than technology—they represent hope restored. Each station can purify thousands of litres daily, transforming contaminated water into safe drinking water that meets international standards. For medical facilities treating the most vulnerable patients, this reliability is literally lifesaving.

Because of Russia’s violent war and repeated attacks, these children faced a cruel choice: drink contaminated water and risk infection, or go without. Today, those same children drink safely. Their parents sleep better. Medical staff can focus on healing instead of worrying about dehydration and waterborne illnesses.

REUA has now installed 12 of these mobile purification stations across the country, with six located in Mykolaiv alone. This coordinated effort highlights how international partnerships can deliver immediate, tangible relief to communities under siege.

As the world continues to witness, Ukraine demonstrates remarkable strength and resilience in defending itself. This inspiring reality reminds us that while Ukraine fights for its future on the battlefield, we can fight for its future by helping the most vulnerable.

Our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign runs through June 23. Every dollar you give helps fund essential services for Ukrainian children who urgently need our help.

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About us

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.

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As the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) prepares to mark a milestone year, we announce a leadership transition following our Annual General Meeting on June 7.

After 12 years of dedicated leadership at CUF — including serving as both President and, most recently, Chair — Victor Hetmanczuk is retiring from our Board of Directors. His tenure has been defined by steadfast dedication to Ukraine and its people, and by his deep commitment to the Ukrainian Canadian community.

Under Victor’s leadership, CUF has evolved into a nationally respected and internationally recognized organization—one that responds effectively to urgent crises while also investing in long-term recovery and resilience. Among his most impactful contributions was the joint launch of the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) in January 2022, in partnership with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Created in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UHA has become one of the most trusted Canadian-led humanitarian initiatives for Ukraine. It has mobilized critical aid—including emergency medical supplies, food, shelter, mental health support, and assistance for displaced persons in both Europe and across Canada.

Victor’s decades-long commitment to Ukraine and its diaspora communities has been defined by collaboration, compassion, and a results-driven approach to humanitarian work. His guidance has been instrumental in fostering partnerships with local and international organizations, ensuring that aid reaches those in greatest need—swiftly and efficiently.

“It has been the honour of my life to serve as Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Canadian community. As I pass the torch and make way for new leadership, I do so with full confidence in the strength of our Board and CUF’s future.

To my successor, Andrij Maleckyj, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. You are stepping into a role filled with purpose and promise, and I am certain you will lead with integrity, vision, and compassion.”

— Victor Hetmanczuk

CUF is pleased to announce that Andrij Maleckyj, a Board Member since 2022, has assumed the role of Chair, effective June 7.

“Please join the CUF Board in congratulating Andrij Maleckyj on his appointment as Chair. He brings to the role extensive financial expertise, a steadfast commitment to our mission, and a clear vision for our organization’s future. We look forward to working under his leadership as we continue to advance our goals and serve the Ukrainian community at home and abroad.”

— Ann Semotiuk, Chair, Governance Committee

Andrij Maleckyj is a Toronto native with degrees in economics from the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. His career spans senior roles in treasury and investment banking at Merrill Lynch in New York, London, and Toronto, and later at Brookfield Asset Management. Now retired, he is also a member of CUF’s Steering Committee for Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine.

“As we mark this leadership transition during Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s 30th anniversary year, we do so with gratitude for the foundation built by Victor Hetmanczuk and optimism for what’s to come. On behalf of our entire team, we thank Victor for his leadership, tireless dedication, and unwavering service that has had a profound impact on CUF—and on the lives of countless Ukrainians. It will be felt for many years.

We are feeling energized to continue to work alongside Andrij Maleckyj in his new role as Chair of the Board as we advance CUF’s vital mission.”

— Valeriy Kostyuk, Executive Director, Canada-Ukraine Foundation

Temerty Foundation Donation Matching Ends at Midnight

Until midnight, every dollar you give will be matched by the Temerty Foundation, up to $100,000—doubling the life-saving support for Ukrainian children who urgently need our help. Children like Dayana. 

In a so-called “rest camp” in temporarily occupied Crimea, 14-year-old Dayana watched as Russian officials systematically tried to break her little brother Nikita’s spirit. After standing up to pro-Russian teens, he was falsely accused of a mental illness and sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was drugged without consent. Without explanation. Without his family’s knowledge. 

Meanwhile, Dayana was forced to sing the Russian anthem daily. Russian textbooks replaced Ukrainian ones. Russian documents were prepared for every child—a paper trail designed to make them vanish from Ukraine entirely.

Through discreet communication channel, Dayana was able to reach Save Ukraine. That single contact became a lifeline that brought her and her siblings home—before Russia could complete the erasure of their identities. 

Today, Dayana attends college in Kyiv. She dreams of traveling the world. Most importantly, she shares her story so the world knows what Ukrainian children endure. 

Dayana escaped because donors understood the urgency of her situation. Other children wait in camps, detention centers, and foster homes across temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and within Russia. At midnight, this matching opportunity ends. But today, your compassion can reach twice as many children like Dayana. In these final hours, every $50 becomes $100, and every $100 becomes $200 of life-saving support. Your donation doesn’t just help—it helps twice as much. 

The time to double your impact is running out.

The need is real. 

Help us bring more Ukrainian children home.

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Our new address since May 30

Canada-Ukraine Foundation

30 Powerhouse St., Suite 101

Toronto, Ontario M6H 0C6

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About us

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.

Thank you, Canada! 

In just 24 hours, you have helped raise over $30,000. Thanks to the generosity of the Temerty Foundation, this amount will be doubled for our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign. This is what the Canadian spirit truly embodies.

Supporting rescue operations behind enemy lines is not an easy task. With the funds raised, complemented by the matching commitment, our partner, Save Ukraine, will be able to assist in the return of six more children from Russian captivity. However, thousands more children need help.

With just 48 hours left, you can help us get closer to our $100,000 goal. 

Be on the right side of history and be a part of a child’s story of homecoming and recovery.

With immense gratitude, 

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation team

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Our new address since May 30

Canada-Ukraine Foundation

30 Powerhouse St., Suite 101

Toronto, Ontario M6H 0C6

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About us

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.