November Ukraine Appeal
Dell, Director of the Compassionate Resource Warehouse, has just notified Canada Comforts that there will be a shipment going to Ukraine at the end of November. The focus of this load is an orphanage for 250 children, between the ages of 3 and 17, but mostly older children and teens.
The request to Canada Comforts is for older child and teen sizes of winter toques, sweaters and warm tops, knitted slippers, washcloths, and blankets in twin bed size (60"x72") New and gently used items in good condition are acceptable.
We have also been asked for extra large cloth bags for each child to put their pyjamas etc in. Please contact Sylvia for details about fabric size for sewing these bags.
We will have a special dropoff at the Juan de Fuca Senior Center parking lot on Tuesday, November 18 from 10 to 11am, since there is a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph on November 11th.
Donations can be sent to Canada Comforts via Coast Distributors in Kelowna, Surrey and Lantzville. In Victoria, donations can also be dropped off at some of our volunteers homes, on any day that can be arranged by you and that person, as well as at several businesses.
West Shore/Sooke area: Marlene 250 474 4793
Esquimalt area: Sylvia 250 474 4614
Cordova Bay area: Barbara 250 857 1729
Dragonfly Books, 721 Station St., Langford 250 478 0914
Sawyer Sewing Center, 201-3400 Douglas St., Victoria 250 388 6228
This is very short notice for us, and for the Warehouse, but we know that our volunteers manage to step up and do a wonderful job when the need is great. I know we'd all like to send some warm clothing and hope to the children in Ukraine.
Thread Spools
We have been asked to save empty sewing thread spools. Twenty-five spools go in each kit to assess traumatized children.
2025 Our items have been sent in the following containers
January - Ukraine
February - Papua New Guinea
March - Eswatini (Swaziland)
April - The Gambia
May - Ghana load #1
June - Ghana load #2
July & August - Zimbabwe
August & September - Burundi
June 2025 - we were busy getting ready for the second load to Ghana
Ghana 2nd load - 2 groups sharing a container.
Group 1: YFC setting up a skill development centre -sewing, carpentry, mechanical, catering. A dormitory for students. A single moms’ home.
Group 2: Bearing Fruits: assisting 2 larger orphanages, one orphanage that just burnt down. Homes for seniors, those with disabilities, and single moms’.
Canada Comforts was asked for:
40 aprons
40 menstrual kits
130 dresses - assorted sizes
200 shorts - assorted sizes
100 bibs - assorted sizes from baby to adult
26 doz. diapers
30 arm slings
Skirts 50
Contents for maternity and baby packs, receiving blankets, hats, sweaters, baby tops, receiving blankets, wash cloths.
As many bears and bags we can send.
Bucket hats if available.
As many quilts, blankets and sweaters we can give.
July & August 2025
Zimbabwe will leave the end of August. This will be going to 2 hospitals, clinic, 3 schools, 4 skill development centres, setting up a medical mission home, sharing with 2 homes for autistic children, a seniors’ residence, plus general community building work.
Canada Comforts has been asked for:
45 aprons for cooking skill development catering/kitchen use
30 incontinence kits
30 menstrual kits
100 hospital bibs
50 adult bibs/75 teen for those with disabilities
75 baby/child bibs
75 arm slings
75 maternity pack supplies bibs, tops, wash cloths, towels, receiving blankets, small bears, etc.
26 dozen diapers
25 skirts
75 dresses and 75 shorts
Warehouse already has for this load our bears and bags, sweaters, slippers washcloths, blankets and quilts.
We have already sent to Northern Canada 1,800 toques for the school children.
August Sept 2025
Burundi - considered the poorest country in the world.
We will be sending to 2 orphanages and helping 5 schools that feed their students.
We have been asked for:
As many bears and bags, blankets, wash cloths, sweaters we can provide.
150 shorts, 150 dresses, 50 skirts, 25 arm slings, 110 bibs (sizes children to teens), 25 dozen diapers,100 menstrual and 50 incontinent kits, and 40 aprons
We have already sent to Northern Canada 1,800 toques for the school children.
2024 Summary of what Canada Comforts sent to children in need
14 containers: 4 to Ghana, 2 for Ethiopia, Burundi, Ukraine, Eswatini-Swaziland, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Sierra Leone.
Gifts Canada Comforts sent in 2024
955 – Dresses
1360 – shorts
145 – skirts
268 – menstrual kits
228 – incontinent
68 – dozen diapers
125 – receiving blankets
1,755 – assorted bibs from Adults to babies
445 – hospital bibs
305 – arm slings
365 – aprons
170 – hand knitted puppets
526 – bears
2,926 – bags
940 – baby tops
3,000 – toques to school children in Northern Canada
We haven’t the total count for washcloths, blankets, quilts, sweaters and slippers.
Local needs were looked after by some individual team members and some satellite groups.