Ukrainian family in N.L. can be 'part of this community' thanks to anonymous $8,900 donation

When Yevheniia Alosha of St. John's created a GoFundMe page for money to pay for a new car, she didn't expect an anonymous donation of almost $9,000 to come in.

Alosha started fundraising two weeks ago, after her family's car broke down due to a transmission and handbrake failure. Then, one week later, she got a notification about a new donation.

"I think I cried little bit," said Alosha, her eyes filling with tears again.

"I was like, 'Oh, my God', to my husband, 'Oh my God, oh my God. Look, somebody donate so much.' ... Thank you so much. Whoever this person is, I will pray to God for health, for wellness for this person."

With the donation of $8,900, the donor fulfilled almost all of the $10,000 fundraising goal Alosha had set.

Alosha, her husband and four-year-old son lived in a small town close to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, before they came to St. John's in June, fleeing the country following Russia's invasion in February.

After almost four months of filing paperwork, and finding jobs and child care, Alosha said the couple decided to buy a used car with their savings.

"We were pretty excited. We can move around finally to explore a little bit St. John's and to meet another Canadian families and just to be more into the community," said Alosha.

Yet, when the car broke down one short month later, the mechanic told the couple it wasn't worth fixing.

It was devastating news for the family. A car, Alosha said, means they're able to participate as full members of their new home — going to work, earning a living and being stable.

"It will help us to be part of this community," said Alosha.

While Alosha said she doesn't mind taking the bus, her new job as a flight attendant with PAL Airlines means she needs to be able to get to the airport at all hours.

The family hasn't received the money just yet, though. Alosha said she was notified the platform needs to verify where the money came from and on which online platforms she shared the fundraiser link.

"I know a lot of scamming is going on and people just ask, 'Oh for Ukraine', but they actually don't... It's a lot of things happening. But we will never ask," said Alosha.