By Marie Zettler

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Pembroke — A woman driving by the Germania Hall on Bennett Street in Pembroke had a vision and acted on it.

Less than two weeks later, more than $13,000 has been raised to support victims of the war in Ukraine.

Petawawa resident Laurel Andrews had been deeply moved by the plight of those impacted by this war.

“I totally relate to the shock level of these people,” she said. “They’re just like us, or the family next door: one day going about their daily routines and enjoying their surroundings and their grandchildren and so on, thinking Putin is bluffing and ‘this couldn’t happen here,’ and the next day running for their lives, leaving husbands and fathers behind to fight this second Hitler.”

She had been soul-searching for a way to make an impact, as opposed to hand-wringing and lamenting that there was nothing she could do. And then she saw a video clip online of a charity called World Central Kitchen mobilizing local chefs in areas where people needed help to prepare and provide hot meals to those in need.

She was further inspired by news reports that Germany was taking the lead among European nations in resisting Putin’s aggression and opening its doors to those displaced by the war.

“Those who share this heritage can be so proud of Germany’s leadership in this, after all they went through in World War 2,” she said.

And then she passed the Germania Hall on her way to work at Fire Team K-9’s headquarters on Boundary Road in Pembroke. The business, besides partnering veterans with service dogs to help them reintegrate into civilian life, also provides grooming, dog day care and pet training classes to fund the service dogs program.

The ideas percolating in her mind began to connect as she saw a possible venue for the event she was beginning to envision, and a possible partner to bring it to fruition. She found the Germania Club website and reached out via the email address there.

The email landed in the inbox of Germania President Shannon Boucher.

“And then I connected with that 10,000 horsepower lady Shannon,” she said. “It was like lighting up a Christmas tree.”

She met with Ms. Boucher at the hall to look at the facilities and to brainstorm about the logistics of a food-based event such as was taking shape in her mind.

“Borscht (a beet-based soup which also can incorporate meat as well as other vegetables) is common to all eastern European countries,” she said. “It seemed to be a logical choice.”

And so, Soup and Support for Ukraine was born.

Ms. Boucher put out a call on social media to her Germania Club contacts and to people in the wider community, asking for an indication of support which included willingness to volunteer time and effort and donate ingredients for the soup.

“The heart of Pembroke jumped on board, right down to the children from three schools who made art work, with heartfelt messages of hope and love and peace, to decorate the hall.”

Ms. Andrews was not naïve about the work and effort that would be required. Her daughter, Elissa Rosene Kozakevich, owns and operates Bored’n’Saucy, a Petawawa-based catering and takeout food business. Ms. Kozakevich contacted colleagues in the food business and Pembroke-based Little Things Canning Co. came on board, along with another operator of an industrial kitchen, to provide the person-power and a place to cook the soups from the donated ingredients, including over 200 pounds of vegetables.

Ms. Boucher has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support.

“We had almost 400 people through the doors and, besides that, over 100 takeout meals,” she said. “Thank you to the restaurants that cooked the borscht. I bet Google is taking a hit for borscht recipes because so many people realize they love it.”

Four varieties were offered, including a vegetarian and vegan option. The $10 admission included a bowl of soup with a bun – one of the 600 donated by local bakeries – and dessert. There were the proceeds of a silent auction and raffle, all for donated items, and the bar proceeds for donated beer from Brauwerk Hoffman and vodka from O’Kenny’s Spirits, and there were cash donations at the door. E-transfer donations were also received.

Two local bands, Greenwood Country and Odd Man Out, provided live entertainment throughout the evening.

Germania Club Vice-President Charlotte Witt worked alongside of Ms. Boucher in bringing the event to fruition. Her special area of responsibility was coordinating the silent auction and raffle.

“I would like to thank every business and individual for their generosity towards the raffle / auction table and to the event,” she said. “The tables were jam packed with prizes. As the people viewed the items they kept commenting how incredible this event was and how quickly it all came together. I had a smile on my face the entire day even though no one could see it through my mask. The conversations I had with individuals who either were from the Ukraine or have family still there brought tears to my eyes and I knew this event brought a little joy to their hearts.”

She added it was also wonderful to see the Germania Hall full of people again.

“It has been a tough two years, not having events, and to kick things off and open our doors to a fundraiser for a people in need seemed perfectly fitting,” she said.

Proceeds are being divided between World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/ and the International Red Cross Ukrainian effort at https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/ukraine E-transfer donations can be made until March 20 at club@germaniapembroke.ca.