Help the Tymokhins come to St. John's, NL

My name is Jess Puddister, and I'm from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. A friend of mine, Valentine Tymokhin, is a cook at YellowBelly Brewery here in town. He's from Ukraine, but has lived here for the last 17 years, and is now a Canadian citizen. On March 1st, Russian troops invaded his hometown of Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyi. Val's parents, Larisa (66 years old) and Fedor (69 years old) Tymokhin, still live there.

The constant and inescapable risk of violence has been incredibly stressful for them all. The Tymokhins have been waiting to hear the sound of bombs exploding. After days of deliberating whether they should stay or go, Val's parents decided to leave their home with two of their close friends, Evgenievna and Aleksandrovich Selin. They secured a ride to cross the Romanian border and head to Bucharest, where they can submit the necessary information for Canadian visitor's visas.

When Val reached out for help, I started coordinating the visa applications, accomodations, and logistics on their behalf. None of it is straightforward, and it has been tough to find them a place to stay that is both affordable and reliable, given the situation right now with so many Ukrainians fleeing the war to neighbouring countries. This morning, I booked two hotel rooms for them for 1 week, to get them started. We don't know how long it will take the Canadian government to process and approve the visa applications. The Tymohkins and Selins may need a longer-term solution in time. But for now, they have a safe place to go where they can rest.

It took enormous courage for Val's parents and their friends to leave behind everything they hold dear. They are retired seniors on a fixed income who have never traveled before. Now we need help to get them here safely and reunited as a family. Can you support their journey?

For context:

1 double hotel room + taxes and fees (1 night) = $85 CAD

Food for 4 people (1 day) = $50 CAD