Selfreliance credit union supports Chicago's St. Nicholas School (05/22/05)

Selfreliance credit union supports Chicago's St. Nicholas School

by Marta R. Leseiko

CHICAGO - Not only does Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union give donations and sponsor educational programs for the students at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Cathedral School but President/CEO Bohdan Watral met with all the students during National Credit Union Youth Week and attended an assembly in the school auditorium several days later.

This unique elementary school (pre kindergarten through eighth grade) will celebrate the 70th year of its existence in 2006. The school is owned and supported by St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral and partially by Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Parish.

It is accredited by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and the State of Illinois Education Department. Its graduates are accepted at some of the finest high schools in the area, including Ignatius, Fenwick, Whitney Young, Walter Payton and Lane. Students greatly benefit from its solid academic program and consistently achieve excellent scores on national achievement tests.

Due to the vast changes that transpired in the Ukrainian Village in the past several decades - the movement of many young Ukrainians to the suburbs, the arrival of the new generation of Ukrainians and the relocation of other ethnic races - the demographic profile of the neighborhood has drastically changed. The schools stability and enrollment are declining.

The aging school building requires major and very expensive renovations. The new window walls alone are estimated at $225,000. The students need new science, math and technology laboratories. The renovation costs are nearing $1 million.

In these difficult economic times, youth organizations, businesses, cultural institutions, parishes and schools look to the pillar of a community, which provides stability in the Ukrainian American community. In Chicago that pillar of strength is Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union, with its home office located in the heart of the Ukrainian Village on 2332 W. Chicago Ave.

Selfreliance has a history of supporting St. Nicholas school and the Ukrainian American community. In 2004, $902,861 were allocated by Selfreliance to the Ukrainian American community as assistance, and St. Nicholas Cathedral School received over $50,000.

In the first half of 2005, St. Nicholas school received monetary donations in the amount of $60,000; $50,000 to help offset the school's operating deficit and $10,000 to sponsor and underwrite an aggressive marketing campaign that is aimed at bringing St. Nicholas school into the public eye and making it viable into the future.

Selfreliance also interacts with the school's students and is a source of education on financial literacy, raising awareness and introducing the benefits of credit union membership.

During National Credit Union Youth Week, April 17-23, Selfreliance held a promotion in conjunction with St. Nicholas School. To kick off the promotion, students were encouraged to start saving with a $5 "Sum Buddy Account" book. Each student receives .50 cents as an incentive to start saving. Students who brought back their completed $5 book by April 26 to be deposited into their account at Selfreliance UAFCU received backpacks, translucent piggy banks, bubble pens and Selfreliance tote bags, all donated by Selfreliance.

Students who did not have an account established at Selfreliance were introduced to the benefits of a credit union, encouraged to become members and open a savings account, and enroll in "School Deposit Day" - an ongoing savings program instituted by Selfreliance and incorporated into the school's curriculum to deposit money every Tuesday.

Throughout National Credit Union Youth Week, literature was distributed on membership, savings and educational programs/services. The promotional week ended with a surprise, when the students were informed that President/CEO Watral had accepted an invitation to attend the school assembly on Tuesday, April 26.

Maria Finiak, the eighth grade teacher, began the assembly by noting that "Selfreliance has supported the school for many years and has sponsored many events at the school." She recaped the promotional week and stated, "I'm happy to say that from last year we had 45 young children participating in our School Deposit Day program and we rose up to 63 accounts this year!"

She then introduced the guest: "Today, we have a very special opportunity to meet with the president and CEO of Selfreliance, who happens to be an alumnus of St. Nicholas Cathedral School, Bohdan Watral."

Noting that Mr. Watral also served as treasurer on the school board, she said, "Mr. Watral truly appreciates St. Nicholas and our children, and Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union has always been a strong sponsor of education and also now of financial literacy."

Mr. Watral began: "It's so marvelous to see how excited everyone is today. We're very grateful from Selfreliance that we've been actively working with St. Nicholas school for many years. Our credit union was created in 1951 by our community, our credit union is owned by our community and our credit union is here to serve our community. All of the students here at St. Nicholas are part of our community and we're very grateful to you, to your parents, to your friends for having helped Selfreliance grow, for having Selfreliance help you."

Mr. Watral continued: "We would like to increase the amount of support that we give to the students here at St. Nicholas because we think it's so important to be able to go to St. Nicholas School and have the education that you have here, to have these wonderful teachers and staff that are here to teach you to be better citizens of the United States, to go to a Catholic school here, go to church and to also learn about the Ukrainian heritage and about Ukraine."

He continued with a special surprise: "We did a contribution this year to help the school, but I think it would be important to help every single student here so that they enjoy school all the more. Maybe we could provide all of the students a pizza day once a month! Would you like that?" There was cheering in the auditorium.

Mrs. Finiak then introduced another guest speaker, the consul general of Ukraine, Boris Bazylevskyi, whose daughter Anastasia, attends first grade at the school and was the first to return her $5 sum buddy book to the school office.

Mr. Bazylevskyi made a simple and brief speech, describing St. Nicholas as "the best school in America." He said he was happy to see so many students, and he advised them to love their parents and continue supporting and loving Selfreliance.

In conclusion, Mr. Watral spoke about the recent visit by President Viktor Yushchenko and the first lady of Ukraine. He reminded the students that they are all a part of history in Ukraine, as they participated in the president's visit to Chicago.

Finally, every student who participated in the National Credit Union Youth Week promotion received a special prize donated by Selfreliance and had the opportunity to shake hands and take a photograph with President/CEO Watral. To end the assembly, the entire school body and guests gathered on stage for a group picture. Each child will receive this photograph as a school memory.

St. Nicholas School extended their sincere gratitude not only to President/CEO Watral, but to his executive board of directors; Ivan Leseiko, Oleh Karawan, Oresta Fedyniak, Michael R. Kos and Victor Wojtychiw and the marketing manager, Walter Tun.

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To make a tax-exempt donation to St. Nicholas School, readers may contact Marta R. Leseiko, c/o St. Nicholas Cathedral School, 2200 W. Rice St., Chicago, IL 60622; telephone, (773) 782-4972 or e-mail martunique@aol.com.

Marta R. Leseiko is marketing director of St. Nicholas Cathedral School.

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