N.B. Ukrainians find comfort in cooking perogies to support humanitarian aid

In Lana Ternavska's kitchen in Dieppe, friends and family shared stories while kneading dough and pinching hundreds of traditional perogies to share.

Volunteers in the southeastern New Brunswick community have made more than 2,000 of the stuffed dumplings in just a week, as part of a community effort to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

The traditional dish is being sold to help purchase medical supplies and other essentials for the war-torn country.

Ternavska is originally from Kherson, a port city on the Black Sea in southernUkraine. She immigrated to New Brunswick six years ago to work as a nurse and is now a Canadian citizen.

"It's not only about money, it's about doing something handmade, where we can bring and show to the amazing Canadian people a little bit of our culture," she said.

'It's so heartbreaking'

Russia widened its military offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking near airports in the west of the country for the first time as troops kept up pressure on the capital, Kyiv.

Ternavska last visited Kherson in mid-February and said much of it has been reduced to rubble from Russian shelling. Her father still lives there and is taking shelter from missile attacks every day.

WATCH /Ukrainian Canadians come together to pinch perogies, share stories

Ukrainians in New Brunswick find comfort in cooking perogies

3 years ago

Duration 1:12

Community members in Moncton area are making traditional dumplings to raise money for humanitarian aid.

"Now it's ruined, there's nothing left. It's so heartbreaking," she said.

"I still wake up in the morning and I cannot believe it's not a nightmare."

Funds from the sale of perogies are going to the Ukrainian Club of Moncton, which is sending money to a local Ukrainian nurse who returned to her home country to help distribute medical supplies to hospitals.

They've sent videos of the efforts in Canada to friends and family still in Ukraine, which helps give them hope.

Raising spirits

Daria Kalmus is helping to knead and roll fresh batches of dough. She heard about the effort through Ternavska's son, who works with her at a restaurant.

"It's really raising our spirits because we're all from Ukraine here. We all can talk about our families and discuss how we can help in our own ways."

Kalmus came to Moncton from Ukraine in 2018 to study culinary arts in college. She said she's spent more time at Ternavska's house than her own over the past few days and is finding comfort in cooking together.

"First couple days of war you can be frustrated, you can be depressed, you can have fear and hate and anger towards Russians," she said. "But after all, love and hope will always win.

"It's crazy how everyone got together just like this on the snap of the fingers."

'A little bit of our soul'

The volunteers are making the traditional dish, also known as varenyky, completely from scratch with a variety of fillings including potatoes, pork, bacon, cabbage, sauerkraut andonions.

Each perogy starts by kneading dough and passing it through a roller to stretch it out, before cutting it into circles. The filling is added and then the cooks carefully pinch the edges to braid them.

Demand for bags of perogies is so high, the team of five cooks has been putting in long hours outside of their day jobs to keep up. They had to temporarily stop taking new orders, with more than 50 coming in per day.

Ternavska said cooking the perogies is a way to share her sense of pride in Ukraine, and it helps to have something to do

"I think it's a very fair way to fundraise and to bring a little bit of our soul and love, and show our culture," she said.

"I feel better when I can help somehow."