EDITORIAL: Our diaspora charities (08/13/06)

EDITORIAL

Our diaspora charities

The news from the Ukrainian political front in recent months has been, sadly, disappointing. It has kept our editor in Kyiv, Zenon Zawada, very busy. But fear not, dear readers, good news is on the way from Ukraine.

Mr. Zawada is now at work reporting on a story about diaspora charities that are working hard to support some wonderful causes in Ukraine. That story is set to appear in next week's issue of The Ukrainian Weekly, but we wanted to share some of the good news with you now.

For example, there is the story of Basil Tarasko and the Ukrainian Little League. An American, Mr. Tarasko has spent 15 years traveling back and forth to Ukraine - 42 trips in all - to grow a nascent sporting program for children age 9 to 12.

"It's something I want to do to give back to the country of my ancestors," said Mr. Tarasko, who is the district administrator for the Little League in Ukraine. "The kids just want to play and I want to do it," he said, referring to the work he has done to set up baseball clinics for Ukrainian children, many of whom are orphans.

This past April, Mr. Tarasko was instrumental in sending 300 boxes of baseball equipment to Ukraine. That shipment was made with the help of the U.S. State Department and the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund. The package included over 15,000 items, much of which Mr. Tarasko sorted himself into special starter kits for Little League teams.

And then there is the story of Ukrainian Gift of Life Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by George and Kathy Kuzma to help Ukrainian children with a variety of heart problems.

Since 1998, Gift of Life has made annual shipments of $500,000 worth of medical and technology equipment to Ukraine. In total, the organization, which is run entirely by volunteers, has raised $15 million for medical services, hospital costs, equipment and consumables for Ukrainians.

The Gift of Life organization is aptly named, as it provides a wonderful gift to children who might otherwise have died at an early age. The organization helps families cover the exceedingly high cost of cardiac surgery and other treatments. In addition, it gives children who suffer from heart disease hope that they will be able to live a long and healthy life.

And lastly, we would like to point out the work of the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, an organization with a track record of more than six decades of work in support of Ukraine. Among its extensive and impressive list of ongoing programs are educational, eyeglass, agricultural, exchange, medical and relief assistance programs.

The organization even has an Adopt-A-Grandparent Program in which benefactors can sponsor a senior in Ukraine with a sum as small as $15 per month.

So while the political situation in Ukraine continues to be ambiguous, the social situation is not. There are a great many Ukrainians who need our help, and the good news, dear readers, is that we have capable organizations able and willing to provide that assistance.

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