Kingsville mom helping Ukrainian families

By Mark Ribble

KINGSVILLE — A Kingsville mother has pulled off a fundraiser to help Ukrainian mothers and children displaced by the ongoing Russian invasion.

Natasja Hammond, who is originally from a Dutch town called Nieuw-Lekkerland, has managed to collect $26,000 in donations and is hand-delivering those donations to her hometown this week.

Contacted last week by the Sun, Natasja said that her grandparents were charged with hiding Jews in Holland during the Second World War and she remembers how impacted they were by that.

Recent events in Ukraine have brought back a lot of memories for her as family members in Nieuw-Lekkerland have taken in Ukrainian families during the crisis.

She immediately felt for those mothers and children who had to leave their husbands and fathers behind to defend their land.

“That could be us,” she said. “Those could be my children.”

Natasja Hammond holds a photo of two Ukrainian boys in the Netherlands.

With that, Natasja started to think of ways she could help, such as starting a fundraiserthrough some of the regular channels like Go- FundMe, but she eventually decided that she wanted every cent collected to get to those families.

“The host families have given so much by opening up their homes,” she said. “I can’t imagine being a parent and having to ask for help.”

She started a campaign on social media and watched it grow far beyond what she imagined, which delighted her family in The Netherlands.

“In my hometown, everyone is over the moon,” she says. “This will give them a little positivity in their lives.”

Natasja has purchased 60 Canadian wallets and will equally divide the funds among the 60 families that are currently being housed in Nieuw-Lekkerland when she arrives there this week.

A gathering is planned for Friday for the families to come and receive their gift from the Canadian woman who has done so much for them.

The funds will enable them to buy necessities for their children and avoid being too much of a burden on their host families.

And if more families show up, Natasja says she will make sure they get a share.

She’ll take the opportunity to visit with her aunt and uncle, and spread positivity among the townspeople there.

Natasja is still taking donations and will funnel them to the displaced families. If you’d like to make a donation, you can contact her via email at natasjahammond@hotmail.ca.