Боже, what a year.
We want to close out 2020 by helping the family of someone who has taken care of PCVs and PC Ukraine staff for decades. The Alliance has organized a GoFundMe campaign for the family of Grygoriy Shuliak, a long-time PC staffer who recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Please contribute what you can and share with others. We are more than half way to our goal! Many thanks to those of you who have already donated.
After several months of development, we have finally published our Equity & Social Justice Action Plan. Please take a look and help keep us accountable.
Earlier this month, we officially welcomed new board members to our leadership team: Patty Deignan, Jake McGrew, and Eric Brownstein. All three have previous non-profit experience and we are thrilled to have them join us. Ласкаво просимо!
Finally, a quick announcement about merchandise. Our Peace Corps Ukraine T-shirts are in the works and we are planning to launch the campaign in January. We want them to become your new favorite T-shirt, so we have to get everything just right. Stay tuned for more info in the new year.
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.
щасливого Нового року!
|
|
|
Most Volunteers and staff members at PCHQ Kyiv have benefitted from the work of Grygoriy Shuliak, a beloved General Services Assistant who devoted more than 20 years to Peace Corps Ukraine and was often described as the "soul" of the office by other staff. After a long battle with cancer, Grygoriy passed away in late November 2020. We are hosting a GoFundMe Campaign on behalf of Grygoriy's family to help with medical debt incurred from his treatment and funeral expenses.
The campaign will close Sunday December 27th at 11:59pm est. All funds raised will go directly to the Shuliak family.
Read more ...
|
|
|
|
As part of enacting the shared values of Ukraine RPCVs, the Alliance has formally adopted this action plan to elevate and support RPCV efforts toward racial justice and improved diversity and inclusion practices within Peace Corps Ukraine. We fervently believe that doing so is not only vital for the safety and wellbeing of Volunteers, but also for the development of a democratic, inclusive, and globally-connected Ukraine. Racism and bigotry pose additional challenges and dangers to life at home and during service, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Volunteers and Volunteers of religious minorities.
Read more...
|
|
|
|
Welcoming 3 New Board Members
Patty Deignan served from 2017-19 (Group 51) in Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast as a Community Development Volunteer where she worked with the city's Economic Development Department. This was a perfect match for skills she developed over a career as a municipal finance and redevelopment attorney in San Jose CA. She now resides in Sebastopol CA, keeping busy with various volunteer efforts, including chairing the Chyhyryn Committee of Sebastopol World Friends (a Sister City Organization) and (pre-pandemic) hosting a FLEX student from Donetsk Oblast.
Jake McGrew served with Group 46 as a TEFL Volunteer from 2013-2014 and as a TEFL Response Volunteer from 2015-2016 in Volodymyr-Volynskyi in Northwest Ukraine. In February 2014, Jake was evacuated from Ukraine when the program was temporarily suspended due to political instability. Jake waited a year until Peace Corps Ukraine reopened in May 2015, where he was one of first three Peace Corps Response Volunteers to be reinstated. Jake is currently a Teach for America Corps Member and Secondary School Teacher (band, computer science, English) in Lost Hills, CA. In his free time, he likes to travel and discover cool new cafes.
Eric Brownstein served as a community and economic development voluteer in group 48 (2015-2017). He served in Vinnytsia at the Podolian Agency for Regional Development working civic participation, participatory budgets, and social enterprise development. Currently, he works as an international program specialist at the US Department of Agriculture covering Ukraine, Georgia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. In his free time, he loves to travel, hang with his pup Rosie, and study Russian.
We are accepting board applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested in becoming part of our leadership team, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
