WHIPPANY, N.J. – The Christmas season ended on a joyous note for members of Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Branch 75 with a life-affirming video chat with their newly “adopted” family – that of a wounded warrior from Kyiv.
At the monthly meeting this past October, Ksenia Rakowsky, Branch 75 social welfare chair, and Ivanka Olesnycky, UNWLA New Jersey Regional Council social welfare chair, told branch members about several severely wounded soldiers. These heroes had been flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington area, from the battlefields of the Donbas, where they were valiantly fighting the Russian invasion.
One of those soldiers had been traveling in a truck with nine others when it crossed over a mine that detonated. He was the sole survivor. It was three days before he was found, by which time he had suffered frostbite to all his extremities, and consequently had both legs and both arms amputated. He was at the D.C. area hospital to be fitted for prosthetics and receive rehabilitation and occupational therapy. His story was even more heartbreaking as he explained that he was not able to be with his wife for the birth of their second daughter. The couple also has a 5-year-old girl at home in Kyiv, and it would be a very long time before they could all be reunited as he would not be returning home until March.
All the members of UNWLA Branch 75 believed helping this soldier was the right thing to do.
On the same night that the branch agreed to help this family, there was a discussion about a UNWLA program that allows organizations and families to “adopt” a needy family from Ukraine and support them with a quarterly financial donation. It became obvious to all that the family of this particular wounded soldier was the perfect choice.
It was overwhelmingly agreed that at the branch’s annual Christmas party, a fund-raiser would be held for this brave family. The group also decided to send a package of donated gifts, in addition to any monies collected, for the newborn child and her sister and to hold a shower for them. The committee that spearheaded this effort consisted of Karen Chelak, Oksana Lodziuk Krywulych, Ms. Rakowsky and Marta Popovich.
The festive Christmas party had a poignant tone as an impassioned plea was made to attendees to be as generous as possible to this well-deserving family. The sum of $4,255 was collected from generous members and their families, which included monetary donations and proceeds from the auction of a beautiful hand-made wreath donated by Vira Popel and rings of homemade smoked kovbasa, courtesy of Russ Chelak. Additionally, toys, clothing and books for the children were donated by branch members.
Part of the UNWLA’s requirement for a family to be adopted is that they maintain a relationship with their benefactors. The branch’s committee decided to purchase an iPad with some of the donated funds and send it along with the other gifts. This would enable the entire branch to participate in periodic video chats with the family. The only communication that our soldier and his wife had up until this point was via telephone. Now, “Tato” (father) could see and hear the laughter of his first-born child, gaze proudly at his newborn daughter and look into the eyes of his beautiful wife.
When he spoke to Ms. Rakowsky after he had spent the day “visiting” with his family, the father couldn’t give enough thanks, saying he was so thrilled and happy; he literally felt he was “on cloud nine.” The family now Skypes everyday. With such little effort on our part, we’d made one family very happy.
On Sunday, January 31, members of Branch 75 got to meet the wife and children. The video chat was held at the busy Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey. Special thanks were extended to Walter Syzonenko for his technical expertise in facilitating the event. Ms. Rakowsky briefly explained the work of the UNWLA, after which all present got a chance to speak with the mother and her daughters.
The visit lasted more than an hour during which the 5-year-old and her cousin sang Ukrainian songs, recited children’s poetry and spoke a few words in English, too. The “Soyuzianky” (UNWLA members) look forward to visiting with them in the future.
This project selected by UNWLA Branch 75 was not only to assist an heroic Ukrainian soldier and his family, but also to show support for the development of civil society in Ukraine by establishing a rapport with communities that have lost so much. The women of branch 75 took a big step in that direction and were reminded, once again, that to give is to receive.