SOURCE: UCCA Newsletter
The President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), Andriy Futey, traveled to Western NY State on 16-18 September to meet with representatives of the Ukrainian American community. As each community has different needs and interests, it is our local hromada leaders who bear the responsibility of identifying and analyzing various stakeholders and leading their hromada towards ever increasing unity. In this way, Ukrainians can more and more effectively help each other out
During his two-day visit to Buffalo at the start of the trip, UCCA’s Andriy Futey met with the leadership and members of UCCA’s Buffalo, NY Chapter, which represents some of the the estimated 20,000 Western New Yorkers of Ukrainian descent. UCCA Buffalo helps unite a wide range of well-established organizations, including the Ukrainian American Civic Center (Narodnij Dim), the Dnipro Ukrainian Cultural Center, 5 local area Ukrainian Greek-Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox parishes, the local Oseredok (“Lesia Ukrainka”) of Ukrainian American Youth Association (CYM), the local Viddily of the Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU) and the Women’s Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (WADFFU), the Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation, the Mriya Women’s Choir, the local Stanytsia of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization and the “Ridna Shkola” Ukrainian Saturday School of Buffalo, NY.
In Buffalo and the greater Erie County, under the leadership of Yuri Hreshchyshyn, not only has the Ukrainian hromada sent hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid over the past 19 months, but they have warmly welcomed those newly displaced from Ukraine. Through the Buffalo Chapter’s Bohdan Cherniawski’s participation in UCCA’s regular humanitarian aid coordination zoom meetings, partnerships have been forged between various people and organizations around the world, streamlining vital humanitarian work. And thanks to Petro Kushnir of Raine Logistics, UCCA has been able to transport millions of dollars’ worth of in-kind contributions to help our brethren in Ukraine.
A highlight of the visit to Buffalo was the recognition of UCCA Buffalo Chapter President Yuri Hreshchyshyn by UCCA’s National Executive for his decades of service to the community.
Following the visit to Buffalo, UCCA’s Futey traveled to neighboring Rochester, to express sincere gratitude on behalf of UCCA’s National Executive Board for all the work of the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union on the occasion of their 70 years of work benefitting both Ukrainians in the United States and well as in Ukraine. Through the generosity of the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union movement, its membership which today exceeds 100,000 families and its distinguished financial stewardship which has grown an asset base past $4 billion USD, the work of UCCA and the Ukrainian community in general has been able to continue unabated for over 80 years. In particular, the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union has played a significant role in fostering community, promoting financial stability, and preserving cultural heritage throughout the United States. UCCA’s President witnessed this first hand during his visit to the Pacific Northwest, which included meetings with the management and employees of two Pacific Northwest branches of the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union, located in Portland, OR, and Federal Way, WA. During his remarks at the anniversary banquet, Mr. Futey emphasized the continued importance for the community to continue to invest in Ukrainian Credit Unions, as these institutions continually reinvest their earnings into community projects and initiatives.
