Organizers of an upcoming event in Charlottetown aim to put a spotlight on Ukraine to raise awareness about what's happening there — and also about how Islanders can help Ukrainians who have moved to Prince Edward Island.

It's the second event in a cultural awareness series hosted by Immigrant & Refugee Services Association (IRSA) P.E.I. The first event focused on Afghanistan.

Yvette Doucette, information services co-ordinator on IRSA's community engagement team, said there is a need for host families to help Ukrainians when they arrive on P.E.I.

"It's a short-term kind of request, so they don't arrive and have to be in a hotel room trying to sort out all of the various things that you have to sort out when you're moving under these kinds of circumstances to a new country," she said.

"If we had 50 people apply, we would be able to utilize those 50 people."

Doucette said she believes there are currently 11 host families on Prince Edward Island. And there are different ways to be one.

"Some of them are people who've left the country for winter, so their house is available. And some people are hosting within their home with their family there."

Doucette said other people might have a condo they're able to offer for a short period of time.

With P.E.I.'s vacancy rate at less than one per cent, it can be difficult for many people to find housing.

But Doucette said being a host family is about more than putting a roof over someone's head.

"To have this little buffer zone for people to be able to welcome them and support them when they first arrive from this terrible situation is very critical. So we know that whoever applies to be a host family, we will be able to utilize their kind support."

'Make that connection'

Mykyta Shupov and Valeriia Shokota will be speaking at IRSA's event. They have both immigrated to P.E.I. from Ukraine.

"These are people that are here on the Island that can really make that connection between this world event and P.E.I. — and how it's rolling out here."

Doucette said it's important to understand who's arriving on P.E.I., what they're dealing with once they arrive, and what they have left behind in Ukraine.

"Right now, it's winter. A lot of the heating and the water infrastructure in Ukraine has been destroyed, so people who maybe thought that they could stay there for the winter, now they're having to flee."

IRSA's spotlight on Ukraine event will take place Thursday at the Florence Simmons Hall at Holland College. There will be a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by presentations starting at 6 p.m.