Saskatoon church raising funds for Ukrainian church

A Saskatoon church is taking action by helping a Ukrainian church deal with some hardships.

Saskatoon’s Faith Baptist Church has decided to start a fundraiser for the Banyliv Baptist Church in Western Ukraine to help with costs in the church and its community.

Pastor Steve Fish of the Faith Baptist Church says it has been a very difficult time for everyone who has ties to Ukraine.

“It has been overwhelming and very sad to watch as you watch the news and see the pictures,” Fish said. “So many people are connected with Ukraine from here. We have a church member who’s an immigrant from Ukraine so it has been very difficult for their family as well.”

Fish explained it was that member who came up with the idea to begin a fundraiser for their community.

“It was really this church member who still has family there and he asked us to consider partnering with the Baptist church we’ve worked with before,” Fish said.

“The idea of helping the widows and the orphans has been on our mind for a long time and so it is important that we partner together.”

The fundraiser is in its early stages, but all of the funds will go towards helping those in the church community who are dealing with the tragedies of the war.

“Our goal is to help those families who have lost loved ones and are dealing with the loss and some of the financial needs that would come up from that,” he said.

Fish says there have been multiple fundraisers and events to help the people in Ukraine and believes the people in Saskatchewan will continue to lend a helping hand moving forward.

“One of the things Saskatchewan is known for is coming out to support,” he said. “We’ve had just astronomical support that the people are doing and what it speaks to is the love and care for our roots.”

Fish says personally he has many Ukrainian friendships and connections, like so many others in the province.

“I have so many friends that have that connection,” he said. “I used to sing in a quartet with a couple folks that (have) a strong connection there and it’s personal because you know so many people being impacted and it’s sad and emotional that way.”

Anyone interested in donating can do so here.