EDITORIAL: Our hromada - a cooperative effort (10/27/02)

EDITORIAL

Our hromada - a cooperative effort

Seems like it was just summer ... and here it is: the end of October. Our "normal" community life, which was on summer hiatus, has resumed and is in full swing.

We're back to our familiar community routines: Ukrainian studies school, meetings of our youth organizations, such as the Ukrainian American Youth Association and Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, folk dancing lessons, and so forth. And that doesn't include all the non-Ukrainian activities like music lessons, sports and various extracurricular activities that are the norm for our youths.

And it's not just our kids who have so many diverse activities. There's plenty for the adult members of our community to do, whether that involves work on the parish council, or with the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, or for a favorite charity, not to mention our various professional societies and other special-interest groups.

Whew! No wonder we needed a rest during the summer (even though that "rest" is not necessary restful, but just a change of pace as those of us with kids spend the summer getting them from one camp/workshop/seminar to another).

As far back as we can recall - and perusing our history books underscores this fact, life in the Ukrainian community, our hromada, has been based on cooperative efforts. We, the members of our community, are the ones who plan and direct our community programs. We are the ones who make them happen and the ones who ensure their success. It's not as if we pay someone else to run our community programs! Now, with the resumption of our community activity after the long summer break, it's time for each of us to reconsider our involvement, or lack thereof.

We are truly blessed to have a vibrant community life that we can choose to make a part of our lives and our children's lives. Thanks to that community, we have the "enrichment" that so many Americans desire and seek. Thanks to our community we have scores of friends, acquaintances and colleagues, which stands in marked contrast to the mere handfuls of friends that our non-Ukrainian peers can claim - a circle of friends that often is limited to those from the workplace, the school and the neighborhood. And our friends are located around the country, even around the globe - not just down the block or one office over.

Indeed we have much to be thankful for. And what better way to express our thanks and demonstrate our appreciation than by giving back to our community? Ask yourself: What does our community need more than anything else? The answer is really very simple: volunteers. We need volunteers of all ages, of all backgrounds and professions, of all talents and skills. Our community can benefit greatly from creative applications of our manpower.

Each of us can play a role - whether in a leadership position, as an assistant or adjunct, or even on an ad hoc basis specifically geared to one project or another. There are so many tasks that need doing. Perhaps it's about time you headed an organization, ran a school fund-raiser, planned a special program for a youth group, taught a class at Ukrainian school, cleaned up the parish hall, took charge of a special project.

Why not get involved? Take on a function, or a project. Ask how you can help within your club, parish, organization or local community. All of them are cooperative efforts that deserve your input of manpower. All of them will welcome the contribution of your efforts.

So, stop talking about what we as a community can and should do better. Get in there and do it!

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