United Ukrainian American Relief Committee
reports on its humanitarian aid activity for 1999

PHILADELPHIA - The annual meeting of United Ukrainian American Relief Committee Inc., took place on May 13. The board of directors discussed the UUARC's activity for the past year, especially the aid given to Ukrainians in Ukraine, as the organization's motto of "Brother to Brother" continues to be its motivating factor and the organization's raison d'être.

Following is the annual report for 1999 delivered by UUARC President Larissa Kyj.

Economic reforms

The economic crisis in Ukraine continues, as the transition from a planned to a market-driven economy encounters obstacles. The only economic reforms to date have been macroeconomic stabilization, at a huge cost - $10 billion of foreign aid - as well as a great deal of human suffering.

The reforms now needed to improve the plight of the Ukrainian people are microeconomic. Unfortunately, most of the businesses continue to be government-run, unprofitable, managed by corrupt government officials who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. A great deal of the bureaucracy remains in the hands of the "nomenklatura," who interpret each new legislation to benefit themselves; and so the bureaucrats get richer and the general populace sinks deeper into poverty.

Historically, the formation of a country is a long and arduous task. After the American Civil War, it took two generations for the southern states to gain economic stability, and Ukraine has only been independent for 9 years. For this reason, most of the UUARC's efforts are, of necessity, directed to help the people of Ukraine survive the "growing pains" of a new nation.

Flood relief

In November of 1998 one of the worst floods of the century devastated the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine and Romania. The UUARC, as a charitable organization, took upon itself the assignment of helping the affected families and individuals who lost everything in this natural disaster. The UUARC collected, through the generosity of the Ukrainian American community, over 300 parcels and $70,000 in financial aid. The parcels were sent via container, $20,000 was sent to the Ukrainian community in Romania, $20,000 of the relief funding was transferred to Transcarpathia by the director of the UUARC's Lviv Office, Dr. Andrij Dyda, and the balance ($30,000) was delivered to Uzhorod by the UUARC executive director, Stefan Hawrysz.

Adopt-a-Grandparent program

In 1999 UUARC expanded a very important project, through which, for the past five years, elderly writers, families of dissidents, and other poverty-stricken senior citizens have received a monthly stipend to augment their meager, or nonexistent, government pensions. The project is now called "Adopt-a-Grandparent" and matches Ukrainian American sponsors with needy seniors in Ukraine.

For $15 per month the monthly income of some of these people is more than doubled, allowing for home heating, medicine, and healthy food. The UUARC receives lists of elderly people who need assistance from churches, clinics and other social service organizations, their situations are confirmed by our directors in Ukraine, and then they are assigned a sponsor from the United States. Many people correspond with their "adopted grandparent" and enjoy the gratitude of people they are truly helping.

In this first year of the expanded project, the UUARC has had just over 100 people "adopted," and anticipates a continued interest in such a program. Sponsors can be individuals, families, companies, social groups, classrooms, and neighborhoods; payments can be made to the UUARC quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

Soup kitchen, food parcels, shoes

In Lviv the UUARC also supports a "soup kitchen" lunch program five days a week for the elderly and for minor orphans living with grandparents. In addition, thanks to funding from Bohdan Kurylko of Switzerland, 30 boxes of food per month are sent to housebound senior citizens. Mr. Kurylko also helps administer a program whereby shoes are manufactured in a Lviv Technical School and then distributed to "internaty" (children's homes) throughout Ukraine. The UUARC donated more than 1,000 pairs of shoes in 1999.

Aid committee

In the past year, the UUARC's Aid Committee has been flooded with requests for assistance from individuals in Ukraine. Letters come in almost daily, and the committee has been handling 15 to 20 legitimate requests per month - authorizing either parcel shipments or financial aid.

St. Nicholas gifts

In 1999, the UUARC, with the cooperation of the Ukrainian Heritage School of Philadelphia, collected holiday gifts for orphans in Ukraine. Students eagerly brought in wrapped Christmas gifts for poor Ukrainian children who know so little about St. Nicholas, Christmas or the spirit of giving. The packages went via container and arrived just in time for the holidays.

The UUARC also allotted funding for additional country-wide holiday celebrations, sponsoring the appearance of St. Nicholas at various internaty and orphanages, as well as sending children from eastern Ukraine and Crimea to experience traditional holiday celebrations in western Ukraine. The UUARC also donated $8,000 to send children to summer camps throughout Ukraine, and $3,000 for Ukrainian summer camps in the United States.

Estate of William Petrach

In the fall of 1999 the UUARC received a grant in the sum of $207,000 from the estate of William Petrach, a healthy and generous Ukrainian American from the Washington area. The trustee of his estate, Virginia James, followed his wishes and endowed Ukrainian organizations with funding for many good projects to benefit Ukraine, especially his home town of Staryi Dobrotvir. The UUARC's proposal for the repair and renovation of 13 schools and orphanages in the Lviv Oblast was accepted by Mrs. James and is being administered by the director of UUARC's Lviv Office, Dr. Dyda.

Containers and USAlD

As has been the case for the last eight years, the UUARC is still sending containers with humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Kazakstan. With a generous grant from the USAID, which allotted the UUARC $60,000 for reimbursement of freight charges for aid shipments, UUARC has rallied the Ukrainian American community to new heights of activity. Communities throughout the United States have responded with renewed energy and generosity to the call, and to date nine 40-foot containers have been shipped, eight to Ukraine and one to Kazakstan, containing clothing, personal items, books, medical supplies, medicines and desperately needed vitamins.

Krasnodon mine accident

Unfortunately, accidents in the coal mines of eastern Ukraine are not a rare occurrence, but each incident is both a national and a personal tragedy, leaving behind devastated widows, bereft parents, and, most tragically, hundreds of orphaned children. The recent mine explosion in Krasnodon, near Luhansk, was one of the worst in mining history, with 80 dead and seven injured.

The UUARC responded immediately, by sending $16,700 to be distributed ($200 per family of the deceased, and $100 per family of injured miners), before even appealing to the community for donations. The money - the first aid to be given to the families of the victims - was personally delivered by the director of the UUARC's Kyiv office, Vira Prynko. Not even the government of Ukraine, which promised aid to the families, had given them anything by the time Ms. Prynko visited them. Thanks from Krasnodon have been pouring in. Again, the Ukrainian American community has responded from the heart, and Ms. Prynko will soon be returning to Krasnodon to deliver additional donations.

Publishing

Under the auspices of the UUARC, through the generosity of our benefactor, H. Malynowsky, and thanks to the creative energy of Prof. W. Bandera, two extremely informative books were published - "Liudyna-Anatomia" (Human Anatomy) and "Maty I Dytyna" (Mother and Child). These books are donated to schools, universities and libraries throughout Ukraine.

Information bureau

The Information Bureau, administered by Metodij Boretsky at the UUARC's headquarters continues to assist newly arrived immigrants from Ukraine, through a biweekly open house, where information and advice is available, as well as through Citizenship Training Classes funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through Lutheran Children and Family Services. The Citizenship Training course, consisting of six to eight two-hour classes, including visual and audio aids, and followed up with assignments and exams, were professionally taught by Mr. Boretsky.

Brazil Fund

The Brazil Fund continues to flourish as a self-sufficient program. Seed money was donated in the 1980s to aid poor and large families to purchase farm land. These loans are repaid in bean crops, which are sold with the proceeds reverting to the fund. This fund is administered by a committee chaired by the Rev. Balthazar.

Combined federal campaign

UUARC has successfully applied for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign, as well as State Employee Campaigns in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and California, so federal employees, and state employees in the mentioned states, can donate directly to the UUARC through their workplace. Private sector employees should write in UUARC in the United Way Campaign, which is "donor driven," meaning the impetus must come from the donors, and if enough donors write in "UUARC," we will be included in the subsequent booklets.

Volunteers needed

The UUARC's work is rejuvenated, but what is required is not only financial support from the community, for which the executive committee is very grateful, but also volunteer support. Recently, President Bill Clinton called for more volunteerism in America, stressing the importance of volunteer work in improving life in the United States.

No less important is volunteerism in improving life for our unfortunate brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Volunteers can help collect new and used clothing, personal items and school supplies and ship them to us, or contact their local hospitals and pharmacies for donations of medical supplies and/or instruments.

The main office of the UUARC, located at 1206 Cottman Ave. in Philadelphia, PA 19111, is headed by UUARC Executive Director Hawrysz, with the help of Oksana Horajeckyj and Lydia Melnyk. The UUARC's phone number is (215) 728-1630.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, August 6, 2000, No. 32, Vol. LXVIII

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