As a business, we have a duty to make a positive impact in our community and to make a difference. PlanAxion is already involved in various causes (you can also read our Article about our sponsorship of the Montreal Athletics Classic). With the current situation in Ukraine, we wanted to do something concrete. Our team discussions led to this initiative: we wanted to help a local Ukrainian family welcome the rest of its members. That's when we were put in contact with Sergiy Olishevsky.

Who are they?

Sergiy is one of 40,000 Quebecers from Ukraine in Canada. He immigrated to the country with his wife in 2010. Both are microbiologists who had a deep desire to contribute to the development of biotechnologies in Quebec.

When the conflict in Ukraine broke out, Sergiy's objective was clear: he needed to be able to bring his parents, sister and nephew back home, who had remained in Ukraine. They had to flee the family home in the small town of Khorochiv, in the north-west of the country, where they had always lived. It was at the beginning of April that his family joined him on Quebec soil and thus managed to escape the war.

Sergiy's father, Valerii Olishevsky, is a retired geologist. Sergiy's mother, Liubov Olishevska, taught Ukrainian language and literature all her life in a high school. Her sister is also a teacher. Olena Yakubenko is 38 years old and teaches English at the elementary and secondary levels. In addition to being pregnant, she has an 11-year-old son, Ladyslav Yakubenko, who will have to finish grade 5 in Quebec in a language he never learned. Liubov and Olena are still giving online classes to Ukrainian students, despite the 7-hour time difference between the two countries. They are loyal to the station from 2 am, which is quite an achievement!

PlanAxion gets involved

Touched by this story, our team is committed to providing direct assistance to Sergiy and his family. We put forward a fundraiser. We are so proud of the response from our people! More than 20 PlanAxion contributors and project managers at our client UAP participated in this initiative. In addition, under the name of PlanAxion, our 4 partners decided to equal the sum.

It is therefore an amount of $9056 that PlanAxion had the honor of handing over to this charming family. We are convinced that this sum will help him integrate into his new daily life.

Thanks to our contributors for your great generosity, and to Annie Moisan, for putting us in contact with Sergiy.

In the photo: Jean-François Oligny (left) and Nathalie Cusson (right) surround the Olishevsky family.