Interview With Woodstock Resident Who Immigrated From Ukraine 30 Years Ago

Thursday, 3 March 2022 at 11:47

Dimitri Khakhoula is very appreciative of the City of Woodstock raising the Ukrainian flag today and collecting donations to send to the war torn country.

WOODSTOCK - The City of Woodstock will raise the Ukraine Flag at Museum Square this afternoon for a special ceremony.

The public is welcome to attend and things get started at 4:00 pm for Thursday March 3.

Heart FM recently reached out to local resident Dimitri Khakhoula who has lived in Canada for 30 years and moved from Ukraine when he was 28 years old. He still has plenty of family and friends in the Country and even went for a visit, just two months ago.

Khakhoula says it is extremely difficult to watch what is happening in his country right now with the Russian invasion.

"It is really painful, I really feel sorry for the Ukrainian people, these young boys and girls are dying for Ukranian freedom. I really feel that pain, I immigrated to Canada when I was 28 years old, I grew up in Ukraine and at the same time, I am really proud how they are sticking together, everyone is fighting, old people, children, it is unbelievable how they are sticking together."

Khakhoula says he is very grateful to Woodstock City CAO David Creery and the Woodstock City councillors for putting together this aid package and having the flag raising ceremony.

"I feel really proud and do really appreciate what the City of Woodstock is doing with the flag raising and the donations. The people of Ukraine need a lot of help right now, they need all kinds of supplies."

The City of Woodstock has organized a campaign to accept donations for humanitarian aid packages for Ukraine. All packages will be delivered into Lviv and dispersed to relevant Ukrainian relief organizations.

They really need the following items in Ukraine:

- Non-perishable food – BIG DEMAND
- Clothes and footwear for men/women/children
- Thermal underwear
- Hygiene products (women’s products, diapers etc.)
- Blankets
- Bedding
- Table wear (disposable)
- First aid and first aid kits
- Tents, mattresses, sleeping bags
- Standalone lamps
- Candles
- Containers for liquids (canisters for water, fuel, lubricants with capacity of 10-20 litres)

You can drop off donations to Reeves Community Complex, Southside Aquatic Centre, Cowan Sportsplex and the Woodstock Museum until 5:00 pm on Saturday. You can find more information online here.

You can listen to the full interview with Dimitri below: