Ukraine refugees get donations and warm welcome from Maple Ridge

By Maple Ridge News

A group of Ukrainian refugees received a warm welcome in the community on Saturday.

Nine families, comprised of about 30 individuals, received donations of pants, socks, T-shirts, dress shirts, hats, toques, gloves and mittens, raincoats, sleeping bags, shoes, boots, vests, and heavy winter jackets – all items from The North Face clothing company.

The items were distributed from the basement of Maple Ridge city councillor Ahmed Yousef’s own house.

Yousef is also the community and government liaison on the Ridge Meadows Ukrainian Welcoming Committee and charter member of the Rotary Club of Golden Ears Sunrise that partnered together to distribute the items.

This isn’t the first time Yousef has worked with The North Face – the company also donated clothing to help flood victims in Abbotsford and Merritt.

He said all donations were brand new.

“Still in the plastic bags, never used with tags on,” he said. And, he added, everyone was happy to receive the goods, expressing their gratefulness and gratitude as they shared stories about how they have been welcomed into the community.

A couple of the refugees told him how they work in the community and even though their grasp of the English language is not great, but that their coworkers work with them to make sure language is not a hurdle.

Another gentleman, noted Yousef, who speaks next to no English, has been thoroughly accommodated by staff at the store at which he works.

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