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12 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2017 WHY WE JOINED by Irena Gramiak My great grandmother, Stefania Holinatyj, joined UNWLA Branch 43 in Philadelphia because as a new immigrant she wanted to do as much as possible to preserve the Ukrainian culture and help those still in Ukraine. Throughout the years she became great friends with the women in her branch. They supported her, helped her, and continued to treat her as a vital member even when she could no longer attend meetings. My grandmother, Irena Pronczak, though she never joined the UNWLA because she had too many other commitments, always respected and praised the work the organization did. Many years later my mother, Chrystyna Prokopovych, joined the UNWLA. As curator of the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center at Manor College, she felt that the two organizations could work very well together to teach both Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians about our culture and heritage. When she joined Branch 88 in Philadel- phia she already knew all the members from school, Plast, and the Ukrainian community. All the women in the branch were close to her in age and had shared similar experiences. When I was younger I never even thought of joining. Like many girls my age, I thought the UN- WLA was an organization for “old” Ukrainian women. I didn’t know what the organization stood for or what its members did. I thought it was just a social group for older ladies. I did not know about the amaz- ing bond of sisterhood that existed in the UNWLA or the strong impact it had on the Ukrainian commu- nity. Nevertheless, I am now the third woman out of four generations in my family to be a UNWLA member. I had been active in the Ukrainian community all my life. As I grew older, school, work, and life in general took up most of my time, limiting other activities. Then, about seven years ago, I realized that I really wanted to get involved in the Ukrainian community again but also realized that I had “outgrown” some of the organizations I was once a part of. I was too old to be in a dance group or to go camping with Plast. I needed to find a group that I could feel comfortable joining and enjoyed working with. As fate would have it was at that time that Branch 88 was setting up a Ukrainian embroidery exhibit. I came to help, just as a volunteer, and discovered that I loved the group of women I was working with. I decided to sign up as a member because I strongly believed in their goal of preserving and perpetuating the Ukrain- ian culture. I was a bit nervous at first because most of the women in Branch 88 have known me since the day I was born. I grew up knowing them as the mothers of my friends, teachers at Ukrainian school, and re- spected women of the Ukrainian community. I was a bit unsure as to how I would be accepted. As it turned out, I could not have chosen a better group of women to work with. From the day I joined I was completely accepted as an equal in the branch. The women were interested in hearing my ideas and re- spected my opinions. It was a wonderful feeling. I was no longer just the little girl they had watched growing up. They made me feel like I truly was their sister. The sisterhood bond in Branch 88 is still amazing to me. Of course there are differences of opin- ion, and at times heated discussions between members may occur, but in true sister style if one of us is in need, the others come running. It could be to offer help, sympathy or just a sharp word to an outsider who has insulted one of our own. You see, we can pick on each other, but anyone else had better not dare. It is truly the best “sorority” you could ever join. Today the members in Branch 88 range in age from 30 to 80, making it the most diverse branch in Philadelphia. The different generations work together, learn from each other, and respect each other. On a broader scale, the UNWLA as a whole is an amazing organization that does much for the Ukrainian community. Quite often the members’ hard work and dedication goes unrecognized, but they continue to fight for those oppressed and to help those in need. I am very proud and honored to be a UNWLA member and carry on the same traditions and work as my great grandmother did. If you are sit- ting on the sidelines wondering, like I did, how to get involved in something big, something powerful, something beautiful, then join the UNWLA and connect to the past, be the present, and shape the future. ____________________________________________ If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and turn it right side up again! — Sojourner Truth, 1851
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