Tetiana is a youthful 45-year old former accountant from Ukraine. A mother of two, she fled with her husband after her home city of Mariupol fell to Russian forces. Her 19-year old son stayed in Ukraine to be available for military service, and she sent her 10-year old daughter to live with her first husband in Slovakia since she was unsure if she could provide for her in Canada. “It was a hard decision,” she notes ruefully.
After arriving in Ottawa last year, Tetiana learned about The Food Services Training Program.
Tetiana applied and was accepted into the program, while her husband was offered a job as a cleaner at The Mission’s kitchen. The Mission also found them a free apartment close to the shelter, and provided furniture and housewares to make it a true home away from home. And since graduating from the FSTP, Tetiana has worked at Chef Ric’s.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to start a new life in Canada. It means a lot to me. It’s so hard to organize a new life. If not for the help of The Mission, we couldn’t do anything.”