N.B. Ukrainians find comfort in cooking perogies to support humanitarian aid
CBC
In Lana Ternavska's kitchen in Dieppe, friends and family shared stories while kneading dough and pinching hundreds of traditional perogies to share.
Volunteers in the southeastern New Brunswick community have made more than 2,000 of the stuffed dumplings in just a week, as part of a community effort to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
The traditional dish is being sold to help purchase medical supplies and other essentials for the war-torn country.
Ternavska is originally from Kherson, a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. She immigrated to New Brunswick six years ago to work as a nurse and is now a Canadian citizen.
"It's not only about money, it's about doing something handmade, where we can bring and show to the amazing Canadian people a little bit of our culture," she said.
Russia widened its military offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking near airports in the west of the country for the first time as troops kept up pressure on the capital, Kyiv.
Ternavska last visited Kherson in mid-February and said much of it has been reduced to rubble from Russian shelling. Her father still lives there and is taking shelter from missile attacks every day.
WATCH / Ukrainian Canadians come together to pinch perogies, share stories
"Now it's ruined, there's nothing left. It's so heartbreaking," she said.
"I still wake up in the morning and I cannot believe it's not a nightmare."
Funds from the sale of perogies are going to the Ukrainian Club of Moncton, which is sending money to a local Ukrainian nurse who returned to her home country to help distribute medical supplies to hospitals.
They've sent videos of the efforts in Canada to friends and family still in Ukraine, which helps give them hope.
Daria Kalmus is helping to knead and roll fresh batches of dough. She heard about the effort through Ternavska's son, who works with her at a restaurant.
"It's really raising our spirits because we're all from Ukraine here. We all can talk about our families and discuss how we can help in our own ways."
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