Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak hosts credit union activists (04/20/97)

Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak hosts credit union activists

by Wolodymyr Pylyshenko

BROCKPORT, N.Y. - Ukrainian Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak welcomed 24 Ukrainian American credit union activists, members of the Ukrainian National Credit Union Association and the World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives, to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington on February 28.

Dr. Shcherbak spoke about the importance of credit union development in Ukraine and emphasized that they (credit unions) "... cannot let the people lose trust in their financial institutions ..." He praised Ukrainian credit unions in the diaspora for their unwavering support of the movement in Ukraine and presented nine cooperative activists with "certificates of honor" for their work.

Recipients included: Dr. Michael Kos, Chicago; Rosalia Holowka, Cleveland; Tamara Denysenko and Myron Babiuk, Rochester, N.Y.; Ihor Lashok, Newark, N.J.; Yaroslaw Fedun, Passaic, N.J.; Dr. Bohdan Kekish, New York; Ilari Mazepa, Philadelphia; and Lev Futala, Yonkers, N.Y.

Bohdan Watral, CEO of the Chicago Selfreliance Federal Credit Union, was the initiator of this meeting. Mr. Watral also is vice-president and coordinator for the development of credit unions in Ukraine of the World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives. He received a special "Recognition Award" from President Leonid Kuchma in August 1996 on the fifth anniversary of Ukrainian independence for his help in rebuilding Ukraine. Petro Kozynets, president of the National Association of Credit Unions in Ukraine, also attended that awards ceremony.

In the evening, Ambassador Shcherbak hosted a Credit Union Foundation reception at the Ukrainian Embassy for nearly 200 members of the Credit Union National Association and the World Council of Credit Unions. During this event more than $40,000 was raised for the development of credit unions in Ukraine.

| Home Page |