THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (01/19/97)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Soyuzivka residence ready to greet seniors for short-term stays

by Oksana Trytjak
UNA Special Projects Coordinator

In all its endeavors, the Ukrainian National Association has always had the best interests of the Ukrainian American community on its mind. Being a fraternal association requires the UNA to promote fraternal activities that will benefit our members and the community.

It has been suggested that, for the benefit of many, Soyuzivka should consider opening the doors of its Senior Citizens' Home not only for permanent residency, but also for shorter periods of time (one week or more), and that these shorter time frames should not be limited to members.

The UNA will try to fill this need in the Ukrainian American community. Soyuzivka will welcome all seniors, both members of UNA and non-members in off-peak seasons for a minimum one-week stay at very special senior citizens' rates.

Many young adults have senior parents or relatives for whom they are responsible. Sometimes it may be difficult to take a vacation, or travel on a business trip if there is no one to take care of a senior family member. Now, you have the option of making reservations for a week or more at special rates to accommodate seniors who can reside in a hassle-free setting with peers. You are worry-free, and they are safe.

There are many seniors who live very comfortably alone and in their own homes. But when the winter months arrive, this may become a real hardship. Soyuzivka offers an alternative to snow shoveling, icy walks and dangerous driving. Lower the heat in your home, pack a bag and stay in a warm familiar environment for a week or two, or for a couple of months.

* * *

Residency at Soyuzivka's Senior Citizen's Home is presently available only to qualified members of the UNA, who are in reasonably good health and who wish to become permanent guests. As a resident of Soyuzivka you are offered room and board, which consists of three meals a day. You also have the benefit of entertainment available during the year. The familiar safe setting, surrounded by Ukrainian culture at a vacation resort makes this the perfect place to retire along with other senior citizens.

This program is offered to individuals and couples. The fees are exceptionally reasonable, and are based on income. Full-time residents are required to pay at least $350 per month but not more than three-quarters of their income. Furthermore, there is a cap for permanent residents, thus, their payment will not exceed $850 a month per individual. Special rates for married couples are available.

* * *

Our community is aging, and can benefit from the services offered at Soyuzivka to seniors and the relatives who worry about them. The Ukrainian National Association has the tools with which to help our community.

Soyuzivka is a 400-acre estate owned by the Ukrainian National Association. Because the UNA wishes to share this bounty with the community, it has built a special senior citizens' building to accommodate senior guests. Special rates available from January through April depend on whether seniors are members and on the length of their stay.

Consider staying with us for a few weeks; perhaps you will be convinced to retire with us. Reside in a comfortable warm setting where your meals are prepared for you daily, enjoy the fresh mountain air and relax in a familiar Ukrainian atmosphere. You will run into old friends at Soyuzivka, and you will have many occasions to make new acquaintances with people who share similar interests.

By filling this need of the aging members of our community, the UNA confirms its concern for all its members and the Ukrainian American community at large. We are ready to be of service to you. Come stay awhile at Soyuzivka - who knows, you may like it.

Please direct inquiries to Soyuzivka: (914) 626-5641.

Teaching English in Zalischyky: a recollection

by Tanya Kosc

Zalischyky, a small tomato-growing town, is found in a horse-shoe bend of the Dnister River. This is where I was assigned to teach English through a program jointly organized by the Ukrainian National Association and the Prosvita Society.

I started my sojourn to Zalischyky by nearly riding on to Chernivtsi. Fortunately, Yura Samokishyn, the gentleman designated to pick me up and with whose family I was to stay, boarded the bus to look for me. I was so busy conversing in a combination of English and German with a fellow passenger that I hardly noticed when this dark-haired man passed by the second time and asked in a surprised tone, "Vy Tanya?" (Are you Tanya?)

Wearing sandals and a denim vest, I suppose I did not look like a professional teacher. Because I am not a professional teacher and am younger than the average volunteer, I was a bit apprehensive about the possibility of correcting the sentence structure of a 45-year-old engineer or doctor. Thus, I was quite happy to find out that I would be teaching seventh and eighth graders.

The children were often more punctual than I for our four-hour sessions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day. After the first day, my class of 15 was divided; eventually the number of children placed in my group shrank from nine to seven. One boy just stopped coming, but a second left for a government-sponsored vacation at a resort, Morshyn.

My slightly skeptical comment, "Well, that's nice. Why?" brought an unexpected answer that quickly eased my suspicions. This was the government's attempt to compensate every school-aged child living in a Chornobyl zone. Zalischyky is in the fourth and lowest degree zone, but the repercussions are felt by nearly all of the children, a majority of whom suffer from illnesses related to kidneys, thyroid and other glands.

The students were eager to answer everything I asked, but they were full of questions, too. They were most curious about American culture: the music, their peers, what the educational system is like and what teens do after school. The students' curiosity seemed to wane only when grammar was addressed. Otherwise, everything was closely inspected, including my Ohio driver's license and grocery store advertisements. I enjoyed showing Buffalo bus schedules and explaining how the Toronto Sky Dome opens.

The game "Hangman" was popular, but to my amazement their favorite game was one that I made up on the spur of the moment and found quite boring. That game, or "ta hra" as they referred to it, required them to name a word which was the part of speech I chose and started with a particular letter I called out. It was pleasing to see that children could still get excited about receiving something as simple as a shiny foil star for good class work.

On the last day, I set out all my supplementary material so that the students could take what they wanted. I was rather surprised that every coupon, train schedule and brochure was gone within 10 minutes. There were no fist fights. The children's faces beamed as they held a Newsweek cover, a comics page or even a computer catalogue.

The students wanted to absorb all the American culture they could and quickly agreed to hold evening sessions for further discussion of rock music and frisbee. We went to Dobrovliany, a neighboring village where two of the girls lived, for the music session. There we could turn up the music as loud as we wanted. The frisbee lesson was given in a nearby park that once belonged to Polish nobility.

In my spare time I did a little bit of traveling and visiting, but I also enjoyed many pleasant evenings at the kitchen table or in the family room of my host family. I do not believe that Oksana Samokishyn ever prepared the same meal twice, while her husband did not let my mind wander with his quick wit. Their daughter Marta was both my student and companion. And then there was Vasylko, their younger child, who taught me how to play cards, eat 'butterbrot' the "correct" way and dive "American" style. Their entire family, including grandparents and cousins, made me feel very welcome.

My month in Zalischyky was a great break from e-mail and answering machines. In Ukraine I gained something that is difficult to find here in the United States. I would love to go swimming in the Dnister, climb cliffs and pick cherries again. I will miss the fascinated (or bored) faces of the children I taught. Their gifts will be enough to decorate my entire room with good taste and uniqueness.

But the best reward was when they thanked me for all that I had taught them, especially the grammar, and then asked if I would be back next year.

Tanya Kosc, a summa cum laude graduate of Case Western Reserve University who earned bachelor's degrees in physics and German, was one of the volunteers who participated in the UNA program English Teachers for Ukraine. She is also Miss Soyuzivka 1997.

1997 UNA Almanac is now available

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Svoboda Press has announced the release of the 1997 Ukrainian National Association Almanac, which has already been mailed to subscribers.

The main theme of this year's almanac is the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of "Akcja Wisla" - the forced deportation by the government of Poland of Ukrainians living in southeastern and eastern Poland to northern and northwestern regions. Artist Bohdan Tytla depicts the terror and inhumanity of this massive deportation action in the almanac's cover illustration.

In addition to articles that address the almanac's main topic, this year's edition also contains entries by Ukrainians from around the world that are included in seven chapter headings that encompass history, literature, diaspora relations and current socio-political themes. All articles in the 288-page almanac are published in Ukrainian.

The UNA Almanac has been published consecutively for 87 years. This year's almanac (including postage) costs $12 and can be ordered by sending payment to: Svoboda Press, 30 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ 07302.

| Home Page |