Textile shop becomes hub for Ukrainian refugees

St. James-Assiniboia

West End

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This article was published 29/03/2023 (947 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While they have no formal training as social workers, Candice Desjardins and the staff at Custom Repair and Stitchery are making a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of Ukrainians now living in Winnipeg.

Located at 669 Century St., Custom Repair and Stitchery specializes in sewing indoor and outdoor textiles and making and repairing custom upholstery. But, given their location near the airport hotels housing Ukrainians, they’ve become pretty good at helping folks, too.

Production manager Luda Shevchuk noticed many people walking by the shop and began inviting them in. During those conversations, they asked how they could help. It began with clothes and housewares that Desjardins brought from home. Customers soon joined in, and a donation centre was born.

Desjardins asked what other help they needed and Shevchuk said jobs. Some people were coming with little or no English skills, so they could not work in their former careers. They needed to find jobs, and fast.

“It’s so sad because there are doctors, lawyers, business owners and university deans,” Desjardins said. “Everybody comes here with nothing. Lots of them can’t go back; there’s nothing to go back to.”

Desjardins and Shevchuk became career counsellors. They create resumes for people highlighting transferable skills that employers need. They called friends and total strangers, asking them if they are hiring. More than 200 people have been helped with clothes, household goods, apartments and resumés.

“We’ve done about 100 resumés and every person has a job,” Desjardins said. “We’re so proud of them.”

Desjardins, Shevchuk and Tetiana Sydorova, who was hired shortly after she arrived from Ukraine, bring hope where in some cases there was little. One man, despondent after two weeks in Canada, prayed for help. The next day he walked past the shop, was ushered in, and within minutes had clothes, job leads and connections for apartments.

She gets emotional sharing how happy families are for the help. One woman Desjardins befriended has a job she likes and wants to become an electrician. Desjardins marvels at their resolve.

“I can’t imagine if it happened to me,” Desjardins said. “You had your whole life you’ve built with your family and career … Now you have a suitcase in a foreign country where you don’t speak their language and they don’t speak yours. I could only hope that if I was in this position somebody would help me.”

Some folks come to the shop to get away. Two women whose husbands are in the Ukrainian military stopped in to try on clothes. Soon they were laughing and enjoying themselves.

“Would I be strong enough if this was my life?” Desjardins asked. “I don’t know. Some of these people are so strong.

“Here in Manitoba we have room, we have jobs for these people. Hopefully, some of them can be happy and restart their lives here.”

Desjardins will accept children’s clothing, towels, bedsheets, small kitchen items and housewares until early summer. For more information, call 204-416-0739 or visit repairandstitch.com