Meet one of the Londoners hoping to host a Ukrainian refugee family

Londoner Sonny Pawlowicz has been so moved by the images of war he's seen in Ukraine that he is planning to host a family of Ukrainian refugees in his home. 

Welcoming the family is also his way of paying back kindness that he has been shown in the past, and a way to honour his ancestors, who came to Canada from Poland in the 1940s. 

Watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has displaced millions of people, made Pawlowicz think of times in his life when he had nowhere safe to live. 

"I lived in the shelter system at one point in my life and had bounced around after an abusive relationship," said Pawlowicz. "It kind of reminded me of all that time — the people who were very kind and generous to me."   

Pawlowicz was so affected by images he saw coming from Ukraine that he volunteered to host a family from that country. He has room, because he lives in a three-bedroom home with his father. 

According to the most recent census, 10,000 of the 1.3 million Ukrainians living in Canada call London home.

"It really sunk to my heart that there were people out there that were dying," said Pawlowicz. "I put myself in their shoes."

He has been in contact with a three-generation family: a grandmother, two adults, and two kids. 

"We've been in touch quite a bit," he said. "They're waiting for their visas to be accepted, and then they're going to book their plane tickets over." 

'It's priceless' 

"I think that community involvement is extremely important in times of crisis, like the crisis in Ukraine," said Jack Malkin, the president of London Multicultural Community Association (LMCA). 

"Governments, they cannot do everything, especially when it comes to the grassroots level, and I found that Canadians in general and Londoners in particular are extremely generous people," said Malkin. "People who really want to help, and especially in times of crisis and emergency."

LMCA held a fundraiser to help those affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They've also raised funds to help during international emergencies in places like Syria, Haiti and Nepal. 

"It's priceless when you are hosted by a local family," said Malkin. "They know the city, they know the institutions, they know the banks, they know the supporting organizations, they know how to get from one place to another place."

Pawlowicz said people who have heard he is hosting a family have been very generous, donating everything from strollers to bedding to make the transition to Canada easier.