We write these words on the feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of the most revered saints of our Ukrainian Churches. The life of St. Nicholas was the subject of a Facebook post on December 19 – the saint’s feast day according to the Julian calendar – by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which exhorted us to follow this saint’s example of love, kindness, compassion and charitable works. And then we thought about those in our midst whose good works are worthy of, not only praise, but support and emulation.
Our December 8 issue carried a story headlined “Whippany youths support children in Ukraine” about the wonderful work of the local chapter of the Ukrainian American Youth Association in brightening the lives of youngsters in faraway Ukraine. It was all part of a global endeavor by the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM) dubbed “Warm the Heart of a Child,” whereby members fill backpacks with winter clothing, school supplies, toys and handwritten greetings.