DO YOU KNOW OF A UKRAINIAN REFUGEE FAMILY THAT WISHES TO EMIGRATE TO SASKATCHEWAN CANADA?
We would like to help!
We are a group of business and community leaders who have come together to help families fleeing the crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We are volunteers and we offer our services freely to refugee families in need.
We will provide assistance to families who wish to seek new lives and opportunities in Saskatchewan.
We can assist in arranging transportation, finding safe and secure housing, connections with other aid groups, education and childcare, medical services, and employment.
Why Sunflowers?
Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine.
They are considered a symbol of solidarity and peace.
WHO ARE WE AND WHAT ARE OUR CORE BELIEFS?
The Sunflower Network is a group of business, community, and family leaders who have come together to contribute our gifts to mitigate, even in a small way, the humanitarian crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We are volunteers and our group is informal. We seek to provide on the ground assistance to families arriving from refugee crisis centers. Our work begins before they arrive.
We accept persons regardless of political, cultural, religious, or monetary background. We do not judge nor do we wish to become an industry or a bureaucracy. We only seek to be of real and tangible help.
We seek to build relationships with other care and refugee groups and coordinate our efforts with those of others. We are not about power, or control, but about hope and the future.
“New Dreams, New Hope, New Lives.”
OUR VISION
Working with federal, provincial, and municipal agencies, like-minded individuals, and charitable organizations, our vision is to offer to broken and traumatized families.
Our Mission
We are the “Concierge Service” for new refugee families arriving in Saskatchewan. What does this mean?
1. Assist in identifying the housing needs of each family.
2. Research the best community “fit” for families in terms of family situation, skills, and expectations.
3. Connect with people and organizations within specific communities to assist the placement of families seeking to live there.
4. Sunflower Network members will be available to refugee families to assist them in getting settled.
5. Provide ongoing support with documentation, integration, and employment opportunities.
SCOPE OF SERVICE
We are preparing a “Family X - Action Item Checklist” that sets out the steps required to successfully transition a refugee family to a life in Saskatchewan. We realize many of these steps have already been established by existing Refugee Assistance organizations however from the perspective of a private and informal network we will work to provide the following:
1. Use our contacts to identify families presently in Ukraine or Poland who wish to emigrate to Saskatchewan.
2. If private income support is required,
3. After identifying a family, determine their community for settlement (“Settlement Community”) and ensure we have a “Settlement Concierge” in that place.
4. The Settlement Concierge networks with local service providers in the Settlement Community to organize a place of permanent domicile.
5. Once the family decides where they want to go, “Arrival Concierge” assists with arranging transportation (i.e., air fare from Krakow to the “Arrival Community” which will be either Saskatoon or Regina) if required.
6. Upon arrival in the Arrival Community the Arrival Concierge greets and welcomes the family, and arranges transportation to their temporary domicile for the immediate arrival period. The Arrival Concierge provides close communication during the immediate arrival period, i.e., connection to translators, urgent medical care, etc.
7. After the immediate arrival period the Arrival Concierge arranges transportation to the Settlement Community. Connection is made between family and the local Settlement Concierge.
8. The Settlement Concierge works with local Settlement Community resources to facilitate the following:
a. Identify and help settle families into stable and secure housing
b. Assist with Provincial and Federal registration (Drivers License, SIN, etc.)
c. Determine and assist with education and childcare needs
d. Assist with providing home furnishing including kitchenware, etc.
e. Organize local transportation
f. Organize any required job training
g. Organize any required mental wellness and trauma services
h. Act as an ambassador to assist connecting family with the local community
The UNHCR says there are over 5 million Ukrainian refugees who have already left the country. Seven million more are internally displaced people.
FINANCIAL AND CHARITABLE DONATIONS
Can you help? We are accepting charitable donations and offer tax receipts through the family foundation of one of our members.
We recognize that at this point, Ukrainian families that wish to relocate to Canada are not considered refugees by the Canadian government, so none of the income supports that come with refugee status are available. Given this situation, the Network is raising funds by means of charitable donations to assist these people in need.
Donations to The Sunflower Network for the purpose of assisting Ukrainian refugees can be done through the Rosetown Community Church (887460798RR0001) In cooperation with the Rheaume Family Foundation (774502140RR0001). Funds are distributed through the Sunflower Network.
Taxable receipts will be issued at the end of the year.
Online donations are accomplished through the Rosetown Community Church web page. In the top right corner of the form, please select Sunflower Network in the “Give To” tab.
Cheques can be made payable to Rosetown Community Church and mailed to:
Rosetown Community Church
c/o Sunflower Network
PO Box 2018
Rosetown, SK S0L 2V0
If you require assistance, please contact Dave Mysko at lead@rosetownchurch.ca.
Assessment Questionnaire
A testimonial
From one of our first families:
Наша история
Our Story
Наша історія
In PDF form, click here
Your country met us with the sun! Your town met us with warmth and concern! Our kids finally got a good night's sleep without fear of the alarm! For us, Canada is completely new, but you can already say with confidence - it's a country of beautiful people who generously help!
Thank you #Cory Casemore and all the people who stepped up and helped our family during such a difficult time for us! It's nice to know that such people are around. We wish prosperity, goodness, prosperity, harmony and happiness to you and your country!
- Orest Maydanskiy. Arrived in Saskatchewan June 5, 2022.
“Sunflower Network keeps helping Ukrainian families”
Estevan Mercury - Sept. 5, 2022
“Ukrainian Christmas, in Canada, for refugees who have fled here”
PipelineOnline.ca - Jan. 7, 2023
“Sunflower Network has found success in bringing Ukrainians to Estevan and elsewhere”
Estevan Mercury - Aug. 3, 2022
“Christmas shopping party to raise funds for Sunflower Estevan”
Estevan Mercury - Dec. 9, 2022
“Family of seven from Ukraine coming to Weyburn”
Weyburn Review - Aug. 8, 2022
“Ukrainian refugee family en route from Warsaw to Weyburn”
Discover Weyburn - Aug. 11, 2022
“The war isn’t over, and probably won’t be over in the near term. I think there will be more refugees, more people fleeing the situation.”
— Steve Halabura, founder of Sunflower Network, on Jan. 7, 2023 (“Ukrainian Christmas)
Contact us
We have members throughout Saskatchewan and are looking for more. Please join us.
Steve Halabura (Martensville) 1.306.220.7715
Wayne Halabura (Saskatoon) 1.306.221.7835
Susan Halabura 1.306.220.2683
Southeast Newcomer Services (Estevan, Oxbow and Carnduff; southeast Saskatchewan)