One of Us Fund

~ ONE of US Fund ~
One Year Later  Covid Takes its Worst Toll on Seniors

When the One of Us Fund was launched in late 2019, our primary goal was to support the many Seniors in the Ukrainian community who sadly, have been left alone in their final phase of life.   We discovered that without the support and nurturing of family or friends, too many of our Seniors were falling victim to isolation, loneliness, depression and poverty. 

Determined that no Senior in our Community should be left alone nor without the basic necessities of life, we raised over $30,000 through the generosity of friends, family and our matching sponsor, Cardinal Funeral Homes.   Within a couple of months, we organised needs assessments,  made purchases of basic life necessities (toiletries, new pyjamas, slippers, etc),  distributed gifts at Christmas and co-ordinated one on one  cheerful visits by teams of volunteers to many Ukrainian Seniors.

Then COVID-19 hit.

As Covid spread fast and furious through Senior Care Facilities across the country,  lockdowns quickly ensued to protect our most vulnerable.  And life quickly changed.

In facilities where there were positive Covid cases, Seniors became completely confined to their rooms that are, on average no bigger than 20 square feet.    Visits by loved ones,  group exercise classes, weekly musical concerts, movie nights and meals in the dining room all came to an abrupt halt.         

At the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre (UCCC), the initial lockdown went on for a full 4 months.  While most of us lived in the comfort of our relatively vast homes in the company of our families, our elderly had to endure life in their rooms completely alone, save for the steadfast medical professionals  coming in to feed and give meds.  

Most of us cannot begin to fathom the strength and fortitude needed to endure such a life for a few days, let alone months on end.

From Isolation to Connection
Knowing the deleterious impact  isolation  was having on their Senior residents,  staff at the UCCC mobilized quickly and devised a plan to get them connected to their families virtually.   With funds from One of Us,  25  iPads were purchased and connected and UCCC became one of the first Nursing Homes in Toronto to implement a successful Virtual Connection project. 


After weeks of total seclusion and confinement, finally the faces and voices of their loved ones - children, grandchildren and friends - right in front of them.  The uplift in mood was palpable and staff attribute this mental positivity to many of the Seniors maintaining their good health through this calamitous period. 

But the work has just begun.

REACHING FURTHER -- Connecting Seniors who live alone

Seniors in Nursing and Assisted Care facilities are not the only ones who have been in complete isolation. 

Thousands of elderly in the Ukrainian Community are living alone in their own homes and have no connection to the world outside with the exception of perhaps a landline telephone. 

Day in and day out their days are spent alone, confined to their homes.   The UCCC continues to  get calls on a daily basis from Seniors in the community, asking if they could come in and participate in activities or help with something - anything.  Sadly due to Covid restrictions, the answer is always a heartbreaking no.

Determined not to leave these Seniors behind, UCCC began a pilot program aimed at reaching out to elderly adults living alone in homes and apartment in the community and training  Seniors - 70, 80 and 90 year olds - on iPads via phone or in person with social distancing.  

After successfully connecting and providing training to several Seniors outside in the wider community, our Mission in 2021 is to continue to connect as many isolated Seniors as we can. 

Anna Do, Manager of Development and Community Engagement at the UCCC maintains regular contact with many Seniors who live alone in the community.

 "It is well documented that Seniors who are socially isolated decline both physically and cognitively.  Our experience has shown that when they are connected they feel they are like everyone else in the world.  When  they're disconnected it is almost like a double isolation - first from the pandemic, second due to  of their lack of basic technological skills".  

For $680 we can equip a Senior with a new iPad and a year of internet service.  Training will be conducted by our volunteers either via telephone or socially distanced home visits. 

Together  we can help isolated Ukrainian Seniors connect to the outside world - Virtual chats with volunteers, live yoga and cooking classes, book readings, virtual concerts and more. 

Your financial contribution can help ensure that our Seniors don't have to endure another phase of this brutal epidemic alone.