UCARE, Inc.

June 2009

Recently, Yana Jmourko of Shutters4Scholars approached UCARE, in the hopes of falling under the wing of our non-profit status, bringing their concept of breaking the language barrier with photos to fruition.

Shutters4Scholars, a team of students at the University of Maryland, received the QUEST Project of the Year Award for their proposal of providing "cameras to young orphans so they could document their lives" which in turn would bring attention to their needs. Jmourko states "Most donors don’t speak the language, so wouldn't it be great to find a way to help donors connect? Pictures are pretty easy. They tell a story. And donors would be thrilled to get more than a letter." In other words, building a stronger relationship between donors and their sponsored students.

The Shutters4Scholars program originated with the participation of a small number of orphans. This summer, they plan on including some of the 70 students that have already received small scholarships through UCARE. Irka Tkaczuk, UCARE's president is quoted, "They (Shutters4Scholars) brought in a fresh way for us to look at how to help children."

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The Student Experience

Picture-Perfect QUEST Project Aims to Help Orphans

By Lauren Brown

June 2009

http://betweenthecolumns.umd.edu/2009/06/08/helporphans/

A board meeting was held in Detroit on May 31st. There was no new election of officers, as elections had just been held at the December meeting. Two positions were expiring on the board; Ross Felling (Detroit) agreed to stay on for another year, and Irka Tkachuk (New York) was chosen to fill the open spot.

The meeting was chaired by Alexandra Kosogof of Chicago, the current president. Also in attendance were Irka Tkaczuk of New York, and Peggy Lynch, Ross Felling and Luba Petrusha of Detroit. Nadya Haywas (Los Angeles) joined in via teleconferencing.

Possible fundraisers were discussed; Ross is looking into a charity poker event, and Luba and Bob are going to add credit card capabilities to the web site. Chicago has a charity tea/auction planned for November, and several members from Detroit have volunteered to help out. Detroit has its annual golf outing in the works, and a possible walk-a-thon for the fall.

There were updates on the Buy-a-Bed and Scholarship programs. It was noted that costs have risen dramatically in the past year in Ukraine, due to overall inflation, and the cost of the beds has risen to $150 each. Peggy and Irka have been working closely with Tanya (our coordinator in Kyiv) to reorganize the stipendiat program and get all the finances up-to-date. They are going to try to get renewals in earlier, so that we have the money for each student before the calendar year starts.

There was a discussion about changes in the Ukrainian internat system. Under the Yushchenko government, there has been a drive to change the system from one based on housing children in large institutions to one that is more home-based. Children will be processed in centralized centers, and then placed into foster or small group homes. While this transition is planned for 2010, the current rate of progress suggests that the internaty will still be around for a long time afterwards.

Another promising development in Ukraine is the increase in adoptions by Ukrainian citizens. This had been a rare event in years past, suggesting the stigma orphans face is decreasing. This is a quite good news for the children.

There was a discussion about our activities in Ukraine this year. We agreed to once again be a sponsor of "First Steps to Success," a program which brings young women to Kyiv and teaches them about the business world. They learn about resumes, meet professional women from a variety of fields, and learn how to dress. They are even provided with the start of a business wardrobe. Last year they got to meet Heidi Stefanyshyn-Piper, the Ukrainian-American astronaut. This year there will be an emphasis on NGOs, with grants of $500 being given to those young women who put together a good NGO business plan. Marta has insured that several girls from the internaty will be able to attend.

Luba will be attending the summer camp sponsored by "Priyateli Ditey" in July. The camp will be held in Transcarpathia, and will bring 80 orphans up into the mountains for two weeks. She will teach health, including AIDS and substance abuse. The kozaks of Chernivtsi, who have helped UCARE out on routes and at camps in the past, will be holding a large zyizd/camp at their "sich" in August. It will feature martial arts training, spiritual guidance, and patriotic activities, as well as hiking and sports. They have invited us to send ten orphans to this camp, and we plan to do so.

A fall route is being planned, depending on our obtaining financing. Peggy has proposed getting sponsors for each internat that we visit, and is approaching churches, corporations, and civic groups. We plan to visit northwestern Ukraine this time -- it is an underserved region, with many internaty there in great need. These institutions are in areas north of L'viv, including many in Volyn' oblast. We are asking Tanya to come up with a list of possible institutions, and Luba has said she will visit and assess them while she is in Ukraine this summer. Possible route participants include Peggy (who will also do student interviews), Nadya Haywas, Nellie Jaskewycz, and a new member from California.

Further details and more topics covered will be in the Board meeting minutes, which will be posted here once Peggy has finsihed writing them.

The Board wishes to thank Masco for allowing us to use their conference facilities, and Peggy Lynch for making all the arrangements.