ADDENDUM…..JUNE 9 2014 – CYM Children Participate in Writing Letters to Ukrainian Military

Several weeks after our initial campaign, the children of Stamford CYM received word that their letters and pictures were finally received in Ukraine!  This brought everyone great excitement and satisfaction.  Fr. Sus confirmed through a posting on his Facebook page (shown below) that indeed the letters and pictures were read to the soldiers in Lviv and further disseminated to other military training bases, including in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk where some of the fiercest crossfire is currently raging between the Ukrainian military and Russian terrorists.  He informed us that the letters were extremely well-received bringing much needed support and even a bit of levity to the soldiers in these difficult times in Ukraine.  Fr. Sus noted also that the soldiers were given the letters to read and asked to pass them on to others, thereby reaching hundreds, perhaps thousands of troops eventually.  The soldiers said they would be very much like to reply to the letters just as soon as they have an opportunity.

This summer during all CYM camps in the U.S., an extended letter-writing campaign will take place.  We urge everyone, including our Canadian CYM friends during their summer camps, to take part in this important project which can truly make a lasting and valuable impact on our Ukrainian soldiers.  The Stamford Bulava has agreed to act as the intermediary in this case and will gladly accept all letters or pictures from participants, guaranteeing their direct delivery to Ukraine and into the hands of Fr. Sus for further distribution.

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 As posted on May 14, 2014:

On April 26, the yunatstvo in Stamford took to an important and valuable campaign in support of Ukraine and Ukraine’s armed forces. The children wrote letters to Ukrainian soldiers as an act of solidarity and to express their respect for Ukraine’s soldiers who today, during these most difficult times, are bravely facing life-threatening acts of aggression by Russian forces and stalwartly protecting Ukraine’s citizens from harm regardless of their personal safety and well being. Even the youngest children took part by coloring patriotic pictures and offering words of encouragement. For these children, many of whom were born in the United States but whose parents may have just recently immigrated to this country, it was a way to feel closer to their ancestral homeland and to feel connected to the fight for peace in Ukraine. For those who are receiving the letters, it is an opportunity to hear from young Ukrainian-Americans and to know that they are being thought of, being prayed for and are being respected for the very dangerous job they must do. The letter-writing campaign was coordinated by CYM Stamford through Father Stepan Sus, chaplain of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and will be delivered and distributed by him directly to the soldiers.