Two B.C. siblings are trying to help their elderly Ukrainian family members fleeing war find a place to stay in Metro Vancouver.
Anya Frolova and Stanislav Frolov posted on craigslist earlier this week, looking for a one- to two-bedroom place for their grandmother, father and stepmom.
“Quiet, peaceful folks who want a safe place to live,” reads the post. “They have monetary support from their children who are Canadian citizen [sic] and will be paying all their bills.”
Hennadii Frolov, 60, Oksana Komarova, 55, and Oleksandra Frolova, 83, are currently in Poland tied up with a visa issue but could be coming to Canada any day now, Anya tells Glacier Media.
It's been one month since Russia invaded the European country. The invasion has driven more than 10 million people from their homes, almost a quarter of Ukraine's population, according to the United Nations.
Thousands of civilians are believed to have died and estimates of Russian military casualties vary widely, but even conservative figures by Western officials are in the low thousands.
"We have more family in Ukraine, but these are the closest ones to us. We’ve been listening to what they’ve been going through and we had to help out somehow,” Stanislav says.
The siblings speak to the trio every day.
“Honestly, the biggest thing is to get them out of the war zone,” he adds. "The most important thing is their lives, their safety.”
The pair is hoping to secure a rental for $1,500. Anya lives in Vancouver and Stanislav lives in New Westminster and they want to be able to visit their family after work.
"We are trying to get something with at least one bedroom so that grandma can have her space,” Anya says. “They’re elderly and they won’t be able to work and will have to look after grandma.”
Anya and Stanislav will be responsible for their bills and food.
"We have to keep them all together as a group and that’s what we are trying to figure out how to get everybody in,” he says.
Anya hopes that when people see a photograph of her family, they’ll want to help.
“Sometimes people would react best by seeing a picture to make it more personal. It’s not just an idea, it's real people,” she says.
If you think you can offer help or have a place, you can contact the family at [email protected].
CANADIANS HELPING UKRAINE
Canadians and British Columbians are stepping up to help in the Ukrainian crisis in many forms.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) tells Glacier Media in an email that it’s seeing strong support right across the country.
The most financial support has come from Ontario, followed by Quebec and B.C.
As of March 17, BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores collected a combined total of $538,074, money that will go to the Red Cross.
In addition, the B.C. government announced on Feb. 25 that it would contribute $1 million to the Red Cross.
With files from The Associated Press
