Ridgewood Local With Ukrainian Roots Makes Sure Refugee Kids Get Gifts

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Anastasia Bard can't do much to help her father in Ukraine, but she can make sure refugee children from the war-torn nation have presents to unwrap this holiday season.

"Instead of feeling dread over the impossible situation in Ukraine," Bard said, "I can wrap gifts and throw a party for kids and feel like I am making someone's life easier here."

And that's what the Ridgewood resident set out to do.

Bard runs a donation center in Ridgewood to assist Ukrainians during the war, and this week she'll be packaging gifts for a holiday party at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, she told Patch.

Ukrainian refugee families who signed up their kids to receive gifts can pick them up Friday at the church at 169 Fairmount Road.

The holiday party will also include games, pizza and, of course, a visit from jolly old St. Nicholas, as the gift-giver is called in Ukraine.

More than 70 kids are registered to receive a gift, all of which were donated by the Ridgewood community through a drive organized in collaboration with Lyubov Ferara, a Ukrainian-born parishioner of the Ridgewood church.

Young children will receive Lego Duplo sets and sticker books, kids between 5 and 12 will get more complex Lego sets and art kits, and teenagers will get Amazon gift cards.

Moms will also get small gifts, including socks and hand creams.

Bard said she wants to help a group of parents who have necessarily had to put their focus on basic needs such as paying rent.

"Parents need to make tough decisions and buy the most necessary things for kids, not something as expensive as a Lego set," Bard said.

"The party will cheer everyone up and give everyone a sense of normalcy for at least an afternoon."