The title of this memoir by Helen Woskob is self-explanatory – the book recounts her life history, starting with her childhood in a rural Ukrainian village, her family’s harrowing escape to the West, their stay in Germany’s displaced person (DP) camps, and her immigration to and life in America, where the Woskob family ultimately prospered in State College, Pa.
Of her difficult childhood, Ms. Woskob writes, “I don’t allow these memories to haunt me. I use them to fuel my appreciation for life and this beautiful world we’ve been given. … I have been able to persevere. Today, I am a happy, healthy woman with the financial means to support my family and to help others.”
From their early years in America, the Woskob family supported causes they believed in, usually relating to Ukraine or the Ukrainian American community, but extending in time to the State College community. As they prospered, their philanthropy grew as well. Their Woskob New Century Fund is an umbrella organization for building connections between Ukrainian universities and Penn State; it is administered by Penn State with guidance from the Woskob family.
The Woskob Family Foundation supports a variety of charities and artistic endeavors in the United States and Ukraine, occasionally working through other charitable organizations; their work includes underwriting two literary prizes for the best books written in Ukrainian each year, as well as helping churches both in the United States and Ukraine, among many other things.
“Freedom and Beyond” can be purchased online at https://shop.eastview.com.