Ukrainians in Windsor fear for family in homeland while wider community collects donations

A rallywas held Sundayin Windsor to show support for Ukraine, as attacks continue in the county.

Somewho attended therally, held across the street from the Windsor branch of the Ukrainian National Federation,havefamily ties inthe country and are working tobring their families to Canada.Others are doing their best to stay in touch with relatives who are in the country andthe wider community is workingto raise donations to help Ukrainiansweather the crisis.

"I'm really worried about them," said attendee Bill Moysiuk, of his cousins who live in Mariupol, a port city in Ukraine that has recently been under heavy fire by Russian forces.

Moysiuksaid he has had contact with some of his family from Bukovina,who are assisting those fleeing Kyivto Poland or Romania.

"What they're doing there is because they haven't attacked there yet, they assume they're going to," saidMoysiuk. "They're assisting the people coming through, giving them shelter and then taking them to the border."

But he said he has not been able to reach his family in Mariupol.

"They're bombing it's on fire, so we don't know," he said.

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Moysiuk is critical of NATO'slack of direct involvement in the crisis.

"Not enough backbone," he said.

A hard decision

Evgen Bosloovyakalso attended Sunday's rally dressed in Ukrainian colours and flying the Ukrainian flag. He said he knows of two familiesthat are trying to come to Windsor, some of whom are in Kyiv.

"They are afraid of coming, this is big changes for them but luckily for them, they have family that will support them and we're open, fully, just to give them everything that they want," said Bosloovyak.

"I will try to help them and me my sister and other relatives in Canada are ready to accept them and help them as much as we can."

He said he had brothers-in-law that would not be allowed to leave which is devastating, afterUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyybanned men of military age, 18 to 60, from leaving the country.But Bosloovyak's other relativeswould be able to make the trip by plane out of a country like Poland or Moldova.

"It's hard but at least the kids are going to be safe," he said. "Some are uncertain about leaving their husbands behind -- it's a hard decision they have to make as a family."

Local donations

Meanwhile, a local drive to generate donations of essential items, including medical items,are being collected at the Ukrainian National Federation (UNF) on Ottawa street.

The best way to give cash, according to Maria Kis who is with UNF,is to give to the RedCross, because the federal government is matching those donations.