Kobzar Society's Pittsburgh Chapter collects hundreds of used computers bound for Ukraine (12/22/02)

Kobzar Society's Pittsburgh Chapter collects hundreds of used computers bound for Ukraine

LEHIGHTON, Pa. - The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Kobzar Society, LTD., has collected hundreds of recent model used computers from universities, hospitals, and businesses throughout Western Pennsylvania for the "Computers for Ukraine" program and is preparing them for shipment to schools, libraries, museums and other educational institutions throughout Ukraine.

The chapter, which was founded by Karl J. Skutski, owner of Skutski & Oltmanns, a Pittsburgh-based public relations firm, is working in partnership with its parent, the Kobzar Society, Ltd., of Lehighton, Pa., a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 corporation. The mission of the corporation is to help improve the access of Ukrainian children to computer technology and to the Internet.

During the past year, through the untiring and competent efforts of Mr. Skutski, the Pittsburgh chapter has evolved from going house-to-house picking up computers in an SUV to a large-scale operation with warehousing and technical facilities, volunteer truck drivers, fork-lift operators, volunteer technical staff and an inventory of 1,000 pieces of equipment.

With tremendous cooperation from the Pittsburgh community, student volunteers from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute and especially support from the Pittsburgh-based Brother's Brothers Foundation; a leading humanitarian relief organization, which provides the warehousing and good advice, the Kobzar Society's Pittsburgh Chapter grew from an idea to an operational humanitarian aid group.

The chapter has formed a partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association, which started a similar program of sending used computers to Slovak schools. The two groups are jointly soliciting organizations for computers and are sharing warehouse space, trucks, volunteers and, on occasion, financial resources.

"Our goal is to ship many computers to needy children in Ukraine," noted Mr. Skutski. "To date, Kobzar has shipped 150 recent-model computers throughout Ukraine and is currently readying 70 more for shipment. A thousand requests, however, cannot be filled due to lack of sponsorships. A computer or two would make a great Christmas gift and a year-end tax deduction."

In Eau Claire, Wisc., Dr. Yurij Ripeckyj, a young radiologist at the Luther Hospital, Mayo Health System, discovered that the hospital was replacing its computers with new ones. He informed the hospital management about Kobzar Society's humanitarian program "Computers for Ukraine Program," and the hospital agreed to donate the "old" computers, all recent models, to the program.

Dr. Ripeckyj shepherded the project in the hospital and, when 150 computers were collected, he organized their transport to Kobzar Technical Center at Microapex Computer Systems in Allentown, Pa.

A portion of these Pentium II computers have been upgraded, converted to the Ukrainian electrical system, tested and packed for the next shipment to 19 schools in nine oblasts in Ukraine.

Dr. Ripeckyj's good deed for the Ukrainian children was described in an article in the Sunday, October 27, edition of the Eau Claire newspaper, the Leader-Telegram. Jennifer Schmidt, the author of the article noted: "Ukraine is a country with highly educated residents, but low financial resources."

Each computer sent to Ukraine can make a big difference in the life of the community. One of the computers, sent to a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic school in Lviv was used in preparations for the pope's visit, another computer, delivered to a physician in Uzhhorod gave him and other physicians access to medical research information via the Internet, a handful of computers delivered to a national library in Kyiv upgraded its operations to the 21st century level; a computer sent to the Lesia Ukrainka Museum in Yalta serves its Saturday school of Ukrainian studies (Shkola Ukrainoznavstva), a computer at the Prosvita educational association serves the community in Artemovsk, Donetsk Oblast. Several dozen computers donated by the Kobzar Society to the Solidarnist Humanitarian Foundation of Ivano-Frankivsk served as the basis for establishing a Computer Learning Center for children of alcoholics and drug addicts.

No such "miracle" has happened for the Learning and Rehabilitation Center for Crippled Children in Boryslav, noted Orest J. Hanas, president of the Kobzar Society. Even though these children have debilitating infirmities, their wills are strong and their intellects are healthy. A computer learning center located on the premises would provide these children easy and constant access to mastering computer technology and usage. It would grant them hope for a rewarding and productive life.

The Kobzar Society has been granted by the government of Ukraine the privilege of duty-free and tax-free importation of computers destined for schools and educational institutions.

In the United States, Kobzar has the cooperation and support of many individual volunteers and groups like the Rotary clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania District 7410. In Ukraine it has forged cooperation with the Rotary clubs in each oblast, the Humanitarian Initiatives Charity Foundation in Lviv, the Regional Ecological Children's Center in Lviv and the Solidarnist Humanitarian Foundation of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Individuals or groups wishing to become sponsors (at $200 per computer) can designate any educational institution anywhere in Ukraine to which the computers are to be delivered. The Kobzar Society honors the sponsors with certificates of appreciation, which are placed in the classrooms along with the donated computers.

For additional information readers may contact Mr. Hanas at Kobzar Society, Ltd., P.O. Box 37, Lehighton, PA 18235; telephone/fax, (610) 377-3383; e-mail; [email protected]. The society's website is located at www.kobzarsociety.org.

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