People in Steinbach and area are stepping up to help Ukrainian refugees get settled into life in our community. 

Denis Vassart with the Ukrainian Settlement Task Force says many donations have already come in during the two drop-off events last month in Steinbach. 

These items have been key in helping the team to set up homes in the Steinbach area, for Ukrainian refugees. 

“They have outfitted 12 families already with more than six others that are in the process of getting equipment gathered and set up and ready for them,” Vassart reports. 

Tuesday, July 19th, is the next day for dropping off donations at the distribution centre with is located at the south end of the Southland Church parking lot. 

Furniture items:

  • Beds/ mattresses/ cribs/ bassinets
  • Dressers
  • Sofas/ loveseats
  • Coffee tables/ end tables
  • Dining tables and chairs

Household items:

  • Dish sets
  • Cutlery sets
  • Kitchen utensils (serving spoons, spatulas, whisks, egg flipper, manual can openers, etc.)
  • Mixing bowls
  • Cookware (pots and pans/ casserole dishes)
  • Baking sheets
  • Bedding (sheets, blankets, quilts, pillowcases, etc. No pillows please)
  • Kitchen/ bath linens (tea/ hand/ bath towels, dishcloths)

Clothing:

  • Clothing for men, women and children of all ages
  • Coats and Jackets (all seasons)
  • Shoes and boots

Vassart says items they will not accept are those that are ripped, stained, broken or worn out. They will also not accept electrical items of any sort. 

Vassart says approximately $15,000 has come in as monetary donations, which is helping to pay for the storage containers at their distribution centre, among other things. 

“We don’t have a specific slot for all these dollars, but we know there's going to be need further down the line and we're hoping to have funds that we can help step in and help with those needs,” he explains. 

Vassart says there are more families who need items to set up their homes. 

To offer other types of support, we can stop by any local church. 

“And there’s a volunteer form where you can sign up to host, provide transportation, drive people, there's a place where you can donate grocery gift cards,” he says. 

To make it easier for the public to donate household items, they have established a regular drop-off schedule; it is going to be the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, from 5-8 pm. So, the dates over the next 3 months are: July 19, August 2, August 16, September 6, and September 20.

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