New Jerseyans send shipment of aid to hospital in Rudky (09/01/02)

New Jerseyans send shipment of aid to hospital in Rudky

by Camilla Huk

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - It was hot and humid in New Jersey over the last few weeks. Now add to that no electricity and no running water, and you have the conditions under which Bohdan Hajduczok worked daily for the entire month of June, from 9 to 5, cleaning, painting and cataloguing the furnishings of anursing home, all in preparation for a shipment to a hospital in Rudky, Ukraine.

It was thanks to Dr. Marko Olesnicky that the owner of a now-defunct nursing home in Montclair, N.J., offered to donate all the contents. Dr. Olesnicky, knowing that Mr. Hajduczok has already spent over 10 years on various projects relating to humanitarian aid to children, orphans and other needy residents of the town of Rudky and Sambir, turned to him to join him in making the most of the donation. Mr. Hajduczok agreed to lead the endeavor.

Mr. Hajduczok's and Dr. Olesnicky's appeal to the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee was realized by Lida Melnyk, and the plans for shipping all the contents from Montclair to a polyclinic in Rudky began.

In addition to the furnishings from the nursing home, over 75 bags and packages of clothing, shoes, linens and household items were also sorted and packed and labeled for the shipment.

Volunteers from Branch 18 of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, led by Christina Debarry, joined Dr. Mila Olesnicky in readying all the items for shipment. The volunteers included: Sonya Capar, Genya Cikalo, Ulana Kobzar, Lida Kramarchuk, Gloria Steckowich and Camilla Huk. Joining them and Mr. Hajduczok in this effort and later in the loading of the actual container was Roman Masier. Irena Wirsczuk, Oksana Bachynsky and Jurij Hayduchok also collected clothing donations.

Despite the challenges of the heat, the days spent in readying all the contents brought excellent results: the beds and railings sparkled, the wheelchairs looked almost new and every piece of the furnishings, toys and bicycles was brought to excellent functioning condition. In addition, there were books, two cartons of multi-colored markers and pens, stuffed animals, mechanical and electrical games and toys. It took two full days, June 29 and 30, during which the temperature reached 98 degrees and higher, for the container to be fully and tightly packed.

Led by Mr. Hajduczok and Dr. Olesnicky, the packers - Taras Olesnyckyj, Lev Hajduczok, Wolodymyr Kulmatycky, Mr. Masier, Oleh Berediak and others - managed to completely fill the 40-foot container which departed on July 27 for Lviv, where it will serve the needs of Rudky's local hospital and other institutions. Svitlana Ferentz of the local branch of Soyuz Ukrainok and Dr. Oksana Hnyp, director of the polyclinic, will assist Mr. Hajduczok in making certain the aid shipment will reach its destination.

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