Civilians without power in Ukraine will have the chance to enjoy a warm meal and charge their electronics thanks to a donation from the Rotary Club of Okanagan-Mission to Stands With Ukraine (KSWU).
Dennis Stor, founder of KSWU, said that the group heard the plea for help from the Mayor of Rivne, a city in Ukraine far from the front lines of the war, that has been the victim of Russian missile attacks.
Stor said that the targeted bombing to the city91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s power plants have caused blackouts and internet outages.
He said that his friends living in Ukraine can see missiles flying by from their balcony.
Nadia, a citizen of Rivne that fled the war and is now living in Kelowna, spoke to Capital News about her family that is still living in Ukraine.
She said that she has had difficulty contacting her parents since the outages, as the internet is often out.
Sheadded that her family has been getting only three hours of power each day, making staying warm in the sub-zero temperatures a challenge.
READ MORE: Ukrainian refugees embrace peace and quiet in Canada as war rages on
The city of Rivne has set up tents in the streets with generators where people can go to charge their devices, eat a hot meal and warm up.
On Dec. 3, the Rotary Club of Okanagan-Mission donated $6,800 to KSWU which will be used to purchase 12 generators.
A member of KSWU is flying from Kelowna to Poland, where they will purchase the generators and then personally deliver them to the mayor of Rivne in Ukraine.
Stor said that Russia is engaging in illegal war tactics in an effort to weaken Ukraine91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s people. He said that Ukrainians will not back down and will fight for their home.
The Rotary Kelowna Okanagan Mission is looking to recruit new members. People who are interested are encouraged to contact the club at laurencegaymer@gmail.com
READ MORE: VIDEO: Canadian-funded group works to remove landmines left in Ukraine
READ MORE: In Kyiv, patience and resignation as citizens await next Russian bombing
Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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