'It's been a godsend': Free store for Ukrainian newcomers to close Sunday
Two years and $8 million worth of beds, couches, dishes and dressers later, the Ukrainian Newcomer Free Furniture Warehouse is closing its doors.
The store was created to help Ukrainians settling in the Edmonton area after fleeing the war, and it has served more than 16,000 families since. Sunday will be its last day.
The warehouse was donated by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Lodge 146 and it was run by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC).
Many newcomers arrived in Edmonton with few belongings. They were able to come to the store to furnish their new homes for free.
"It's been a godsend for them because they don't have to spend the little money they've got on furniture," said warehouse manager Mary Anne Pyszcz.
"They're so grateful, they say they keep us in their prayers," Pyszcz said. "They can't believe that Canadians actually donate all this stuff."
- Get the latest Edmonton updates right to your inbox
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The store is closing because the need has diminished, due to the end of a federal program authorizing emergency travel from Ukraine, said UCC-APC president Orysia Boychuck.
"We were here to help fill a gap, fill a gap in support, a critical need," Boychuck said. "That need has been filled, that goal has been achieved, and we are now ready to move on to other programs and support."
Boychuck said it's bittersweet to say goodbye. While she's glad the warehouse was able to help so many people, she'll miss the store.
"It is an emotional day," she added. "That community that was formed here is coming to an end."
"We bonded, everybody has bonded, it's almost sad that we've been together for that long," Pyszcz said.
More than 35,000 volunteer hours went into the store, and Boychuck said two years would have been impossible without the help of Edmontonians, local businesses and other organizations.
"There's been extraordinary humanitarian good will that has come forward in the two years, and we're so, so pleased," she added.
The UCC-APC has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help continue providing services to newcomers arriving after the store's closure. https://hfh.org/
Newcomers can also access education, employment, mental health and integration programs at the UCC-APP.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Star witness returning to the stand for more testimony at Trump's at hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.