Ribbons for Ukraine

Bella and Poppy, ages 8 and 4, wanted to do something to help people affected by the Ukraine crisis. Their father, George, is of Ukrainian descent, so the family was deeply affected by the tragedies they were seeing.

Bella and Poppy decided to make a few blue and yellow ribbons and hand them out at school. They did not expect the kind of attention they would receive for their ribbons. Soon people were asking which organization they were fundraising for, and if they could buy more. We are honoured to say that Bella and Poppy’s family chose to support us! This is their story in the words of their mother Kristin:

My name is Kristin Scorgie. When my husband George Hutzel, our children (Bella and Poppy) and myself decided to fundraise to help support the Ukrainian people, I sat down and thought long and hard about what charity to fundraise for. I knew there were many charitable organizations to choose from in Canada, but then I came across the Humanitarian Coalition. As soon as I spent some time reading through their site, something instantly resonated with me, personally and professionally. The words "Together saving more lives" jumped out at me, and I knew right away that this charity was where we would put all our efforts.  

As a registered social worker and therapist working in a hospital setting, I have learned in my practice that collaboration and cooperation is the key to success. Recognizing others strengths and working together with others is so powerful. I was thinking about the quote by Charles Darwin: "In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed."

There is strength in doing things together, and it is my belief that utilizing the expertise of 12 different aid organizations in a united effort to help those who need it most, is the most efficient way to respond to a crisis. 

Our daughters were the driving force behind fundraising and really wanted to "help out anyway they could." Poppy (almost 5 years old), when asked why this fundraising is important, says "to help Ukraine." 

Bella (almost 8 years old) had this to say: "It's really important to help all of the Ukrainian children and families who no longer have homes and are going to need food, shelter water, and medicine. We need to make sure they are healthy and are safe." Bella also says, "Imagine if we were in Ukraine right now! We need to do whatever we can."

To quote my husband, George Hutzel, "Who would have thought making and giving out to community members free ribbons in the colours of the Ukrainian flag would turn into such a powerful tool? Not having a way of collecting donations when they were offered by recipients of the symbol of support for the Ukrainian people, led us to seek a legitimate method to fundraise for this humanitarian disaster."

Our family is honoured to work with the Humanitarian Coalition to fundraise to provide assistance to those in need. 

George, Kristin, Bella and Poppy