Nicole English witnessed an accident in front of her home in Petty Harbour. The driver, a Ukrainian refugee on his way to his second job, was unharmed but devastated by the significant damage to the vehicle. The man, his pregnant wife and their 18-month-old child will be hosted by a Ukrainian refugee family in the fall. He said in English that he was worried about being able to feed his family. English says it wasn’t a difficult decision to offer the man some help. English, her husband and another woman asked the man if it would be okay for them to set up a GoFundMe online fundraiser for him, and he agreed. The group set up the fundraiser, and in two short days, the $5,000 goal was reached. English says the money was originally being raised to get the man a new car, but a mechanic has since taken the vehicle to see if there was anything that could be done. He says grocery delivery services also reached out to the family for other financial needs. English says she was blown away by the generosity of people who read the post and paid it forward to the bereaved family. He says the man was so grateful for the help. He said in English that the support breathes new life into his family and that coming to Newfoundland and receiving such support is “like living on another planet.” English says if anyone still wants to reach out and support the family she can connect. Her email is [email protected]
