When Cory Woods was a chef in our city, his kitchen was his battlefield. Now his battlefield is in Ukraine where he flies Ukrainian drones hunting Russian drones on the front lines.
Canadian on the Front Lines
I heard Stacey Brotzel interview Cory on her 880 CHED morning program on March 13th. Instantly I had two points of contact. Cory not only bears the name of our eldest son, but they are one year apart in age. So, I set out in search of him through social media and within 24 hours he connected with me from the Ukrainian front lines in Donetsk. He is the only Canadian serving in his area.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Cory knew he needed to do something to help. His background is Ukrainian. He came across a Kyiv-based charity called Magic Food Army that cooks for troops on the front line, and he saw that as an opportunity to utilize his skills in the kitchen. In his words, “to feed the bodies that are dropping bodies.”
His volunteer work took him way beyond the safety of a kitchen. He was sent to the Kherson region just after the Russians blew up a dam, flooding much of south-central Ukraine. He was supposed to be there for eight days and that turned into four and a half harrowing months. Cory spent much of his time in small inflatable boats, vulnerable to enemy fire while ferrying supplies to or rescuing stranded Ukrainian civilians.
“Russian snipers were taking pot shots at volunteers, they’re trying to inflict as much pain and terror as they can on international volunteers.”
Those experiences shifted something inside him. He valued humanitarian work but wanted to make a difference in the war effort.
Cory Woods (second from right) with soldiers and fellow aid workers in Kherson region earlier this summer. Photo courtesy of Cory Woods.
Food For Thoughts
Cory has always cared about others.
He was a chef at a now closed restaurant in St Albert, 12 Acres. While working there, he and two other chefs formed a group in 2015, called Food for Thoughts. Cory had lost a friend and colleague to suicide a year earlier. “I took that very personally, and heavily, and it cost me dearly over the next several months. So, when the opportunity came up for it, it was a lifesaver for me as well as an opportunity to leave something better for the next generation in our industry.” 
You might not know it, but being a Canadian chef can be as dangerous to your mental health as a battlefield.
“We have this mentality when we think it’s OK to work for 16 hours without a break, without eating, barely hydrating —coming home exhausted, passing out and waking up and doing it all over again.”
What Canadians Need To Know
After being in Kherson he made the decision to start finding ways to train and learn skills that would make him effective in the military. He enlisted and one thing led to another. He learned how to build, program, and fly drones. Now he flies hunter drones. His first kill was a Russian Lancet missile on its way to take out Ukrainians soldiers.
Cory pointed out that all their drones are Ukrainian made.
As their interview time was running out, Stacey asked Cory to tell Canadians what he wanted them to know about the war in Ukraine.
Here’s what he said.
“President Zelensky genuinely cares about the troops and the people in Ukraine.”
“Ukrainians are very resilient people.”
“People need to understand that this doesn’t stop in Ukraine. This is the most important conflict of our generation and if Russia is allowed to win, this will blow up into a third World War. And it will be your sons, your daughters having to come. Putin has made it clear that that is their intent. They put that on their state TV and their state media every single day. Do not fall for the lies and the propaganda coming out of the Kremlin. This is truly a battle of good versus evil. If you ever wondered what you would do if you lived in 1939, you’re doing it now. Canadians have always stood on the side of good, on the side of peace. And if peace cannot be then we show strength. The people who the Canadians have been supporting have demonstrated that day in and day out. We need to see more of it from our government.”
Canadian to Canadian
I told Cory that Jocelyn and I are coming to Ukraine in June and it would be good to meet, Canadian to Canadian. In the meantime, keep Cory in your prayers.
We understand Cory’s heart. It’s what motivates Jocelyn and I to go to Ukraine this summer.
And you would like to do something to support to families in Ukraine. Consider supporting children at one of our kids camps this summer. Or talk with your pastor about your church’s support for a camp. You can help Ukrainian kids treasure every moment of every day and feel the love of Jesus.
Help a child go to camp through Loads of Love. Designate to B&J Ukraine Ministry. and include the word “camp” in the message section. Thank you.
Please join the conversation and post a comment below. I will forward any comments and support you want to share with Cory.
You can listen to Cory’s seven minute interview with Stacey, here and one with CBC here.
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