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24 OUR LIFE • June 2022 Branch 56 in North Port, FL, has for decades shared Ukrainian tra - ditional crafts and culture with the southwest Florida community. This year, the project took on heightened public interest in light of Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the members of Branch 56, whose president is Bohdana Puzyk, renewed their ef - forts to share Ukrainian art forms and traditions with others. The proj- ect of decorating the libraries was organized by Jaroslawa (“Slava”) Stefanyshyn, the branch’s Cultural and Museum Coordinator. Branch members filled library dis - plays in the Sarasota County Pub - lic Library system of Southwest Florida with traditional Ukrain - ian crafts, artifacts, embroider - ies, woodwork, and Easter eggs ( pysanky ). The items included carefully selected treasures from members’ personal collections and represented the many differ - ent regions of Ukraine from which they originated. The following Branch 56 members curated and installed the library system displays: Roxolana Saciuk and Slava Stefanyshyn (North Port Branch Library); Oksana Lew and Romana Guran (Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library); Lieda Boyko, Olena Boyko, and Ann BRANCH NEWS BRANCH 56 Shares Ukrainian Culture with Southwest Florida, Easter Baskets with Elderly Ukrainian Americans Patricia Zalisko , Press Secretary, Branch 56, North Port, FL Marie Susla (Elsie Quirk Library, Englewood); Roxolana Yarymovych, Kse - nia Rakowsky, and Ivanka Olesnycky (Fruitville Public Library, Sarasota); Bohdana Puzyk (William H. Jervey Library, Venice); and Ksenia Kuzmycz and Yara Litosch (Selby Public Library, downtown Sarasota). For more than 10 years, Branch 56 has also prepared baskets filled with traditional Easter foods and treats for those in the surrounding Ukraini - an American community who are elderly, housebound, or residing in as - sisted living or hospital facilities. Members of the branch’s Social Welfare Committee typically bake traditional breads and assemble and deliver the baskets during Easter week. With the support and leadership of Branch 56 president Bohdana Puzyk, the committee was hard at work again this year. Committee member Lidia Bilous created beautiful greeting cards to ac - company each basket, and members delivered the finished baskets to those in need. The project touched the hearts of the women who affec - tionately contributed to the annual project. The gratitude they received in return was overwhelming. A 95-year-old Ukrainian American woman who lives alone and to whom they brought a basket, for example, hugged committee member Nusia Mariani hard and wouldn’t release her. Ms. Mariani had delivered her basket and five others that day. With each delivery, Branch 56 members took time to socialize with the recipients of the baskets – another wel - come diversion for those individuals. Two nursing home residents were visibly overwhelmed that they had not been forgotten this holiday. Yet another repeatedly expressed how grateful she was to be remembered. Every recipient expressed his or her sincere gratitude. The Branch 56 Social Welfare Committee is chaired by Halyna Lisnyczyi. The committee members who worked on this project were Klara Szpicz - ka, Anna (Nusia) Mariani, Lidia Bilous, and Olya Babchuk. One of this year’s displays, at the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library, featured Trypillian pottery and intricately embroidered pillowcases. Social Welfare Committee and other Branch 56 members who helped with this year’s Easter basket project (l-r): Irene Copie, Oksana Lew, Klara Szpiczka, Vira Bodnaruk, Olya Babchuck, Lidia Bilous, Lesia Popel, Roma Guran, and Slava Stefa - nyshyn. Not pictured are Anna (Nusia) Mariani and Halyna Lisnyczyi.
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