Leamington native brings ‘Loads of Love’ to Ukraine

By Mark Ribble

CHATHAM-KENT — Leamington-born Ed Dickson knows very well what the situation in Ukraine is doing to the locals in cities and towns across the European country, because he is practically one of them.

Dickson’s involvement with the Loads of Love charity dates back 25 years to when he first arrived in Ukraine to answer a calling that came to him in a dream.

“I was living in Guelph working for the university, when I woke up one night and it came to me that I needed to head to Ukraine,” he said. “I had recently returned to the church and knew this was my calling.”

Born on a tomato farm in Mersea Township, the alumnus of Gore Hill Public School had felt he needed to get to the Ukraine to help the people there, particularly the children.

His involvement in Loads of Love has brought him much satisfaction and pride over the years as the charity regularly helps children who cannot help themselves.

Approximately 2,000 Ukrainian kids normally get help from Loads of Love and Ed Dickson is a big part of making that happen.

Ed Dickson, centre, poses with four of the Ukrainian orphans he supports, during their annual visit to McDonalds for McJoyful Christmas. This photo was taken in December 2019.

Photo courtesy of Ed Dickson

He and his family generally spend two years in Ukraine and one year in Canada, alternating to make the best of their travel schedule. They are currently in the middle of their one-year Canadian residence.

The charity supports 20 government-owned orphanages, which includes food, clothing, medical help and social interaction.

Many of the orphanages don’t have hot water, so the children have to bathe in cold water. Loads of Love sees to it that they get water heaters installed.

Part of the Loads of Love program involves taking the orphan children to McDonalds for McJoyful Christmas every year to enjoy a Happy Meal.

“They shake in their seats with excitement,” he says. “And each one folds up the paper placemat and take it back to the orphanage with them.”

Dickson just returned from a two-week trip to Ukraine around Valentine’s Day, so he was aware of the Russian build-up, but at the time, he says, they thought it to be a bluff by Putin.

“It’s crazy,” he says. “We really didn’t think he would do an all-out invasion.”

Glad to have his family with him in Chatham, Dickson has been busy helping those left behind by any means necessary, including manning the phones for hours on end.

“We’ve got about 40 workers on the ground in Ukraine, distributing food aid and medicine to those in need,” he says. “It’s awful when there are about 60 or 70 people sleeping on church floors.”

Some of the families that he knows are evacuated from their homes and some have already lost their homes in the Russian bombardment. He says store shelves are getting empty and people are looking for other ways to get food.

Loads of Love has already helped move women and children out of harder hit areas.

“Over a thousand kids have been able to move,” he says. “Some on trains and others just getting across the border.”

Through it all, Ed Dickson has faith in humanity, particularly his fellow Canadians.

“That’s the real Canada right there,” he says. “Canadians always step up when needed.”

Southwestern Ontario Gleaners have offered two full shipping containers of dry soup mix to the cause and Dickson is pleased that they’ve come forward with this offer.

“That will feed millions!” he said.

Chatham-Kent Leamington MP Dave Epp — a fellow Gore Hill alum — has stepped in to help Dickson coordinate shipping a container of donations to Ukraine by air.

“The ocean shipping takes about four weeks,” he said. “Ukraine doesn’t have that kind of time.”

Loads of Love is taking monetary donations to help the people of Ukraine with as much humanitarian aid as they can muster.

You can donate by heading to their website at www.loadsoflove.org where you can click on the donate button or read the bios to learn more about Ed Dickson and his life’s work.