Minnesota-based charitable group ships 50 tons of aid to north Ukraine (07/21/96)

Minnesota-based charitable group ships 50 tons of aid to north Ukraine

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - A Minnesota-based organization to aid Ukraine that grew out of a chance encounter at a Leningrad circus 16 years ago last year shipped 50 tons of medical supplies and clothing to a small village in northern Ukraine.

The non-profit Hand in Hand Together, founded by Clifford and Kay Netz of Maple Grove, Minn., in 1994, provides humanitarian aid to the village of Shchors (formerly called Snovske), 50 kilometers northeast of Chernihiv. The charitable organization collects donations of vitamins and medicines, non-perishable foods, clothing, tools and seeds, and ships them in 20-foot sea-going containers through "Operation Support Freedom," a U.S. government program that assists countries of the former Soviet Union. A committee of Shchors teachers, doctors, church and community leaders distribute the donated goods when they arrive in Ukraine.

Hand in Hand Together also encourages cultural exchanges and fosters person-to-person friendships, expounding on the very tenets that led Mr. and Mrs. Netz to give birth to the organization in the first place.

In 1978 the Netzes had traveled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where, in a crowded circus tent, a young ballet teacher from Shchors made room for the American couple to squeeze in. Her name was Nina, and after that brief encounter, the Netzes and Nina struck up a friendship through letters to one another.

After a few years the letters stopped, and it wasn't until a full 10 years later that the Netzes heard from Nina again. The correspondence began anew, supplemented by packages of baby supplies and food for Nina's growing family. The Netzes learned of the economic hardships faced by the village of Shchors in the late 1980s, and in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, received an invitation to visit Nina and her native village.

The couple planned a trip to Ukraine for May 1994. In preparation for their visit, they gathered 10 70-pound boxes of humanitarian aid and medical supplies for the Shchors hospital. Days before their departure, Mr. Netz suffered pain in his chest and underwent bypass surgery.

Determined to visit Nina and bring aid to the people of Shchors, the Netzes traveled to Ukraine four months later. When they returned to Minnesota, they launched an effort that last year resulted in 50 tons of aid for Shchors.

Dr. Eugene Kuz of Savage, Minn., learned of the Netzes' herculean efforts watching the news. A Ukrainian who immigrated to the United States in 1955, Dr. Kuz today serves as vice-president of the Hand in Hand Together committee in the U.S. In the Hand in Hand Together winter 1995-1996 newsletter, Dr. Kuz writes that the Netzes personally pick up donations for Ukraine at donor's homes, and store them in their house until a 20-foot container arrives in their driveway for pick-up. Then, he writes, volunteers, Ukrainians and Americans, young and old, come to load it up.

One of the four containers that was shipped to Shchors in 1995 was donated entirely by the Augustana Lutheran Church of West St. Paul, Minn. The food and clothing drive at the church was organized by Dr. Marshall and Harlean Petersen, who have launched an ambitious project to outfit thousands of people living in the Shchors region with eyeglasses this September.

Dr. Kuz warned, however, that the good work spearheaded by the Netzes is in jeopardy, as U.S. government programs targeting assistance to the newly independent states face the budgetary ax. He urges all Ukrainian Americans to contact their senators and representatives in support of programs such as "Operation Support Freedom."

The Netzes continue to collect donations for upcoming shipments and, based on the needs of people in Shchors, have requested, in addition to medicines and clothing, donations of bibles, musical instruments and toys. A group trip to Shchors of Hand in Hand Together volunteers is scheduled for this fall.

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact: Cliff and Kay Netz, Hand in Hand Together, 17619 Weaver Lake Drive, Maple Grove, MN 55311; telephone (612) 420-3591.

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