When Russians invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Jorgia Moore heard from family friends who were fleeing the violence. One left her home so quickly, she forgot to bring underwear; another was sleeping on her jacket on the ground.
“I felt so helpless, and did not know what to do to help,” says Moore. But she quickly came up with a crisis response plan along with her mom, Janice Krissa. The co-founders opened the Free Store for Ukrainian Newcomers in April the same year, where they’ve since helped over 20,000 newcomers with items from housewares to diapers to clothing.
Many of the Ukrainian clients would return as volunteers and they were constantly hearing people talking about their love for perogies.
“The thing that we noticed with the newcomers helping at the free store is that they couldn’t find employment, because they didn’t know English,” says Moore. So, the idea of creating jobs for those newcomers was appealing.
Moore had no experience with food services, aside from a server job while she was in school. But, again, with her mom, she was determined to start a whole new venture to help those affected by the war even further. That idea morphed into Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen, where newcomers craft foods from their home country.
The kitchen gives them not just needed employment, but a community full of understanding and support as they all work towards permanent residency, she says.
“So, if they worked with Canadians, and something bad happens back home, they’d have to put on a face, right? But here, they don’t have to because everyone understands. They can cry or talk about it,” says Moore.
The restaurant’s old kitchen manager told Moore she has more friends now in Canada than she did in Ukraine thanks to her time with the kitchen.
The business initially started at the Cook County Saloon, where Cree Chef Matthew Potts welcomed everyone in.
“I’ve always loved having a culture and that community and an affinity to try to preserve that for all groups, which is why launching with a First Nations chef was so important,” says Moore.
That first day, the employees were speaking and singing in their language, and Moore apologized to Potts, thinking it may feel awkward not to understand what was going on.
Moore says that Potts encouraged the use of Ukrainian, noting that Indigenous languages have been stripped away — and that he didn’t have Cree language skills.
In the company’s first 30 hours, the kitchen generated $30,000 in revenue.
“We just had to stop and cut it off. That’s a lot of perogies,” Moore laughs.
Potts and Edmonton chef Brad Smoliak mentored the employees, and in June of 2023, the company moved into a new location on Fort Road. Now, its food is found not just at the restaurant, but it also has partnerships with several retail chains, along with other restaurants, and cafes.
“I never expected to be in food service, but when there’s a passion you figure it out. I’ve learned about packaging, and bar codes; I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Moore says.
Moore is a third generation Canadian with a Ukrainian heritage; she started Ukrainian immersion school and Ukrainian dance in preschool. And she continues to dance semi-professionally for an ensemble that raises money for Ukrainian initiatives.
But even with all that love and knowledge of the Ukrainian culture, she’s often surprised by the unique creations that flow from the Don’ya kitchen. While there are the traditional favourites, there are also unique dishes such as the sweet nalysnyky (rolled crepes) that Moore had never experienced before.
Many of the employees of the restaurant noticed that most companies featuring Ukrainian food have the word Baba (grandma) featured prominently in the names. Even though Alberta has had a large Ukrainian population for decades, Ukrainian food is generally associated with the older generation.
But Moore wants to change that. Don’ya means “daughter” and is full of modern tastes that are completely handmade, without preservatives, just like you’d find in Ukraine.
“This is one of the largest immigrations in Canadian history, so we want to put this culture on the map. Obviously, it’s something awful that started this; but it’s nice something that’s peaceful and beautiful gets to come out of it.”
This article appears in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Edify
