WHIPPANY, N.J. – A new social organization, the “Carpe Diem Club”, has been formed at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany. The Carpe Diem Club provides an opportunity for members of the surrounding Ukrainian communities to socialize and participate in a weekday afternoon program. Meetings take place once a month at the UACCNJ. All age groups are welcome, and seniors are especially encouraged to participate.
The club is sponsored by the Arts, Culture and Education (ACE) Committee of the UACCNJ and has been meeting since October 2015. There is no membership fee – anyone who attends gets a name tag and becomes a “member.”
A typical afternoon gathering starts with a hot luncheon, provided at low cost, that allows old friends to become reacquainted and new friendships to form. It was telling that at the first luncheon the attendees themselves moved all the tables together to create a communal environment and easy conversations.
Lunch is followed by a program of informative, entertaining and participatory activities for the attendees. Previous programs covered health topics, including a talk about eye care by Dr. Marta Lopatynsky, a discussion about insomnia with Dr. Ruta Lenchur and a presentation about apitherapy, the use of bees, honey and hive products for therapeutic purposes by Dr. Petrusia Kotlar Paslawsky.
On a different note, Dr. Irka Sawchyn introduced a new religious song of gratitude that had everyone singing together. A very popular and recurring segment is chair yoga, led by Louisa Kaminskyj, whose soothing voice guides the group through gentle, relaxing stretches. During the programs the attendees sit in a semi-circle to add to the feeling of fellowship.
Upcoming events are chosen to allow participants to learn, do, and leave uplifted in spirit. Zoriana Stawnychy will speak on financial matters at the next meeting, scheduled for February 28. Future talks are planned about computer-related topics, current events in Ukraine, videos and the arts.
Attendees have been very pleased with the meetings, which indicates that the club is fulfilling a real need in the social fabric of the community. Meeting dates are announced through notices on the UACCNJ Facebook pages and website, the church bulletin of St. John Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany, e-mail and postal notices to previous attendees.
Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling 973-590-8026 or sending an e-mail to aceuaccnj @gmail.com. With general questions, readers may contact Ms. Kaminskyj at [email protected].