It’s been six weeks since Dana and Vitalii Dubrovin arrived in Calgary, and they’re sorting through the latest kitchen utensils donated by Deb Darbyshire. She’s just her junk her Calgary owner and has already helped furnish her new apartment in southwest Calgary.
“They didn’t have anything. They literally had clothes in their backpacks,” Derbyshire said. “So I saw it as an opportunity and offered a service. Look, we got a lot of stuff. Give me a shopping list and I’ll see what I can try and fill. “
The Dublovins were staying at a friend’s house in Derbyshire when they first arrived in Calgary on September 21st. The two did a lot of research to find a helpful group on her Facebook, but never expected to find such generosity from a friend of a friend.
“I was surprised because it was really good,” said Dana. “Best quality and wow to me!”
“We have met many kind people who are ready to help Ukrainians,” said Vitali. “We are very (greatly) grateful for that.”
Vitalii, 31, is a Quality Assurance Engineer and may be able to work remotely at his old company in Ukraine. Dana, 27, was a pharmacist for three years, but she later moved into the same field as her husband.
The two lived in Kharkov, near the Russian border. They have been married for seven years and left family and friends on February 24, 2022.
“I was woken up by an explosion. We decided there was no way this could stay here. Where are we going[not sure],” Vitali said.
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They are currently enrolled in a course to learn English and are busy looking for work here.
Derbyshire says they are more than happy to help them get on their feet.
“I moved here to Canada 18 years ago and luckily I chose it,” she said. “I had all the furniture, all the clothes delivered, and everything arrived here and I was able to set everything up.
“It was crucial for me to think that there are people who don’t have that opportunity,” she added. Make such an impact and bring about change. ”
According to Darbyshire, Just Junk is a full-service commercial and residential junk removal company that removes anything and everything. Her client’s commission is determined by the total weight of what is removed. She and her team try to keep as many items out of landfills as possible by recycling large parts and donating them to the Calgary Drop-In Center and small household items to Value Village or Goodwill.
The Dublovins sent pictures of their new furnished apartment to Derbyshire.
“I actually cried,” she said. “It was so nice to see this junk that I saw shoved into this little van suddenly pop up, so it was cleaned up and placed perfectly in a small spot. It’s just a lovely feeling.” did.
For more information on Just Junk Calgary, please visit: justjunk.com.