APPA NEWS UPDATE DECEMBER 8, 2007

-Our 40-foot shipping container (#5) arrived safely in Lublin, Poland last week and made it through the customs inspection in fine order! Arrangement were made with local seminarians to help unload it, and it will begin to be distributed in the upcoming week.

-Our gift shop is still open from Wed-Sat., 10am-2pm....therefore, if you are looking for Christmas gifts, cards, ornaments, jelly, folk dolls, Boleslawiec pottery, pisanki, wool Carpathian blankets, and other gifts...please feel free to stop by, or call for an appointment. Our gift shop is small...but, loaded with many different nice things. (you can also look on our web site for more info.....(and, a new expanded web site is being worked on also).

-The APAA will have a general membership meeting on December 15th. We have received permission to use The Eastpointe Historical School House. It is located on the south side of 9 Mile, about a 1/2 mile West of Gratiot. If you have interest in the future of the APAA, or interested in becoming more involved..you should attend this meeting, or notify me if you are unable to attend. The meeting will take place at 9am until about 11am.

Download December 2007 Newsletter Please download here

APAA FUND RAISING DINNER AND ENTERTAINMENT

The American Polish Assistance Association Presents: Continuing the Vision of Bringing Smiles to the Children of Eastern Europe on Thursday, October 18, 2007 from 6:30 until 10:00 p.m. at the Eastpointe Manor, 24611 Gratiot Avenue, Eastpointe, MI 48021. The Eastpointe Manor is located on Gratiot between Stephens(9 1/2 Mile Road) and Ten Mile Road.

This promises to be a memorable evening for all. We look forward to seeing you there.

Evening Schedule - Cocktails at 6:30 p.m., Dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m., and Great Entertainment from 8:00 p.m. until ???

We request a donation of $25.00 per person. RSVP No later than October 4, 2007 Please download a RSVP here

The people producing "Our Polish Story" (to be aired on Channel 7, June 16) are having an Dinner Premier on June 10 at the Diamond Center, Rock Financial Showplace in Novi at 5:00pm. The event features:

- special Performances from: Big Daddy Lakowski, Dunajec Dancers, Wawel Dancers, and Polish Muslims

- displays from Marian Owczarski and Bruno Nowicki

- a variety of food and drinks from Polish Market, Dudek Foods, Srodek Foods, Polonia Restaurant, Hamtramck bakeries

- a Keynote speaker to be announced

- the Premier viewing of "Our Polish Story"..(before it broadcasts on TV 7 on June 16th)

General Tickets are $150.  A portion of the ticket proceeds will be going to the APAA.  The APAA appreciates Keith Famie and the people working on the project for their offer of assistance. More information can be obtained at the following website: www.ourstoryof.com If you are interested, please contact our office, the Piast Institute in Hamtramck, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Wyandotte, the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, or one of the other distributors.

In addition.....we have been offered 10 VIP tickets at a table up front. The VIP table includes:

- 10 gift baskets, a bottle of champagne,

- 3 signed books by local authors,

- the Emmy nominated "Our Italian Story" DVD

- Polish Kosciuszko medallions

- 5 special foods items per basket

- table will be in front of stage

- one framed poster from the event

 Contact the APAA and leave contact information if you are interested in the event.

On Wednesday, April 25, 2007 the Macomb County Board of Commissioners presented their annual Volunteer Recognition Award Winners. The American Polish Assistance Association is proud to learn that one of our many dedicated volunteers, Alex Krinos has received it's Annual Volunteer Recognition Award which, is given to outstanding volunteers in Macomb County. The nomination was thoughtfully made by Loretta Lyk. Though there are numerous hard-working and soft-hearted APAA volunteers which are deserving, his dedication, warm smile, and wealth of knowledge make Alex Krinos an especially well-deserved recipient of this Award. Congratulations Alex!!!

Everyone should know that our most recent container arrived safely in Lublin, Poland. in mid-October.  After a week of sorting and storing the boxes by seminarians and volunteers at Agape in Lublin, they started to get picked up the following week from our contacts in Przemysl, Skopanie Fabryczne, Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, Rzeszow, Bircza, Krasnik, Klucze, Strzyzow, and Laski.

All of the parcels arrived safely, and we have received many letters of appreciation during the recent weeks, including numerous Christmas cards.   Congratulations everyone on a job well done!!!! click here for more details

In October....APAA President  Michael Ostrowski took a vacation to Poland to visit friends and relatives, and also used this opportunity to see first hand how the efforts of the APAA were being received by visiting some of the destinations of the parcels   (in Laski, Lublin, Stalowa Wola, Skopanie Fabryczne, Rzeszow, and Krasnik).  It was a nice surprise to see the kind hearts and appreciation of so many volunteers and workers at these institutions.  He states that all of the places he visited expressed heartfelt gratitude and a desire from more assistance in the future.  It is confirmation our efforts are needed.  Thank you all! click here to view pictures

Greetings Everyone! We received a lot of help from members and volunteers, and were able to successfully load another 40-foot shipping container to Poland!  We had over 20 volunteers helping during loading week, and additional help from Orchard Lake St. Mary's.  Everyone did a great job!  But, also thanks to everyone that made it possible behind the scenes.  Many people attend our events, subscribe to our newsletter, collect and make donations, donate storage space, help with translations, advertise our activities, and so many other ways great and small.  Thank you everyone!

Our container is being shipped through New York to Lublin and will go through customs inspections.  Arrival should be in approximately at the end of October.  The container included over 700 boxes of clothes and toys, over 20 bicycles, and even an electric wheelchair!  Parcels will be picked in Lublin from groups in need from Przemysl, Bircza, Ostrowiec Swietkrzyski, Strzyzow, Laski/Izabellin, Skopanie, Rzeszow, and others.

Some destinations notified us that they no longer need parcels after the last shipment, others requested additional, so, we are trying to send them where help is needed.  We hope to continue shipments to other countries in the future.

The City of Eastpointe was invited to be at the annual World Festival in Eastpointe on Sept. 23.  Susan Pixley, Kathryn Krueger, and Catherine Green did a wonderful job organizing the event which included Hungarian, French, Brazilian, Indian, Native American, and Polish cultural performances.  We sold some of our folk art items and earned over $200, in large part to Sister Joanette and Sister Fabian from Hamtramck who worked the crowd selling grab bags for only $1 apiece!

This afternoon, Wednesday, September 6, we received confirmation that a 40-foot shipping container will be delivered to the office on Wednesday, September 13.  We will have it for about one week to load packages.

We are looking for volunteers to help load boxes, label boxes, and sort clothes starting September 13, until about the 20th.  We are also for looking for anyone with a large van or truck to help transport boxes from our storage location.  Every pair of hands counts, so please visit our office even if you can help only for a short period of time.

Anybody interested can e-mail Michael Ostrowski or contact APAA office at 586-778-9766, so we can plan to have volunteers at different times. We will be extremely grateful for any help received and so will be the children and less fortunate in Eastern Europe.

We are receiving response from Poland after sending the third container click here

The APAA would like to thank everyone that participated in the annual Polish Festival in Sterling Heights July 14-16.  The weather was especially hot and kept crowds down, however, many people stopped by our booth and learned about our organization for the first time.  Thank you to everyone that volunteered... and thank you to the American Polish Century Club of Sterling Heights for allowing us to participate.

Our next scheduled Festival will be Sept. 23 at the Eastpointe Word Festival. The Festival will be conducted in honor of our past President Michael Krolewski.  Call our office for details.

Our third 40-foot container container made it through customs and has arrived safely in Lublin where it is in the process of being distributed by AGAPE. They have sounded very appreciative of the arrival. The clothes, toys, and school supplies will be greatly appreciated by those in need.  God Bless you all.

Last week, we were also able to coordinate with another charity to send a small shipment of adult clothes to Ukraine where it will be donated to those in need, and in a Ukraine thrift shop which raises money to provide needs for the disadvantaged.

APAA has been invited to have a booth at this years POLISH FESTIVAL at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights.  The event is sponsored by the American-Polish Century Club and will be July 14-16. There will be dance groups (Lajkonik Folk Ensemble, Zajaczek Dance Ensemble, the Halka Dancers, and Wawel Dance Ensemble), a Polish Mass, and of course Polish food. Stop by and visit us while you are there!

posted (4/23/2006)

posted (4/23/2006)

As reported earlier, APAA will continue the tradition of Holy Thursday Pilgrimage to the churches of Poletown. A bus will leave Eastpointe from Aurora and 9 Mile Rd. (city building parking lot) at 5:00 p.m. If you are driving yourself, a mass will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Saint Hyacinth in Detroit (directions). Dinner will follow. Next will be Saint Albertus in Detroit, then Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Hamtramck, and then Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church in Hamtramck.

The registration form for this year's pilgrimage is available on our website (download). Total time of Pilgrimage will be 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

 PLEASE RETURN THE REGISTRATION FORM BY APRIL 8, 2006.

posted (3/25/2006)

The P.R.C.U.A. had a Graduation Ball and made a generous donation to the APAA with their "Pennies for Poland" program.

Don Davis has generously offered to sponsor a bus to the Holocaust Memorial at a date still to be determined.

posted (3/17/2006)

We are happy to announce that the 3rd container sponsored by APAA was picked up on March 7, 2006, and it is on its way to Poland. It will ship through  New York and Gdynia to Lublin, Poland. It probably will not get there until next month but it is on the way. There were about 800 boxes that fit on the container and we still have additional 200 boxes left.

Thank you to all volunteers, who donated their time and worked hard to make this shipment a possibility. Special thanks to Alex Krinos who was there for the send off and spends so much of his personal time keeping the office open.  Thanks to Tina Ficht who helped me co-ordinate over 20 volunteers during the past week.  Thanks to Basia Gronet for organizing the Tribute to Michal Krolewski, which included the Dunajec, Bialy Orzel, and Behar dance ensembles. The funds raised during the Tribute helped substantially to cover shipping costs of the container. Thank you to Mr. Kennedy, our office landlord, who allowed us to park the container on his property. We are grateful to him for his patience. Thank you to Ganna Kryuchkova who helped with translations and phone calls to Poland.

As we are tight on storage space and volunteers to sort clothes, please contact the office if you can work in the office sometime, or if you know of storage spaces for the boxes.

Also, thanks for all that have donated time, money, and, toys and clothes.  Most items are in good conditions but sometimes our office volunteers find clothes with stains or holes, and sometimes toys and books have been found to have mold. These are not good as they take time to sort and can cause problems when going through customs in Poland.

We have received an updated "needs list" from the institutions that we support in Poland. It emphasizes children clothes, toys and school supplies.  The list does not mention a strong need for adult clothes or English books, therefore we are suspending the donation of these items for the time being.

posted (3/8/2006)

APAA is unable to accept any adult clothing until further notice, however, we are still accepting children's clothes and toys. We are running out of space in our storage room and do not have too many volunteers to work at the office. Please contact APAA if you have any available storage room that we could use or if you would like to help us in the office. We appreciate everyone's support and help so far and are happy to announce that the container is already about 3/4 full. Our volunteers will keep working this weekend to make the shipment possible.

posted (3/3/2006)

The third container is expected to arrive on March 2 and will be picked up on March 9, 2006. We are in a dire need of volunteers for transporting, loading, sorting and labeling. We have hundreds of boxes located in different garages. If you own a truck, we would appreciate donating some of your time to help moving boxes to APAA center. Every pair of hands counts, so please visit our office even if you can help only for a short period of time. Please contact us at the office 586-778-9766. Keep in mind that the container will be picked up on March 9, 2006, and shipped to Poland, so we have only one week to load it. We will be extremely grateful for any help received and so will be the children and less fortunate in Eastern Europe.

posted (2/20/2006)

A traditional 40 day memorial service for Michal Krolewski will begin on Sunday, November 20th at 5:00 p.m. on the vigil of the feast of Archangel Michael. The memorial service will be celebrated at Marsabbas Orthodox Catholic Monastery in Harper Woods. The monastery is located at 18745 Old Homestead between Kelly Rd. and Beaconsfield (Old Homestead is north of Moross and south of Vernier Rd). The celebrant will be Father Pakhomys (John) Belkoff. Refreshments will be served immediately after the service.

Komitet Polonia Polsce w różnoraki sposób zabiega o zbieranie funduszy potrzebnych do finansowania projektów pomocy sierocińcom, domom dziecka, schroniskom dla bezdomnych oraz domom spokojnej starości w Polsce. Jedną z naszych inicjatyw jest sklep z pamiątkami w Eastpointe, który można porównać do małego sklepu „Cepelii”, jakie jeszcze do niedawna można było znaleźć w każdym polskim mieście.

After a unanimous vote by the Board of the American Polish Assistance Association, the organization involved itself in several projects geared to help people who were affected by the hurricane down south.

    We list these programs for all of our members and supporters in the event that they would like to help in some way.  We encourage those outside of our 5 county area to become involved in their own regional programs.

    #1. Slavic American families will be resettled in several east and west side communities.  They are now in hotels.  We will help when they are moved into homes.  Needed:  furniture, household items, bedding, non-perishable foods and kitchenware.  Please call the office if you have such items so that pick-ups can be arranged.  We are thankful to the Polish American Chamber of Commerce in Michigan for donating time and energy to raise funds for the families.

    #2. The storage facility of the APAA has released about 3,000 children's books in English plus numerous cartons of school supplies and "learning toys". These will be taken to Louisiana by a truck leaving Eastpointe on Tuesday evening.  The exact location of the pick-up is the Water Dept. Bldg. on 10 Mile.  Call for directions if you would like to add any of the following to this transport: books, hygiene supplies, diapers, infant supplies, toothpaste, cleaning materials and non-perishable foods.

    #3.  One family will be moving into a home in Eastpointe in one week.  The First State Bank of Eastpointe will pay for one year's rent.  The APAA will cooperate with city officials to help the family resettle.  The house is presently empty so we will need all of the materials necessary for the family of 6 to start a new life.  Please call for the wish list.

    #4.  30 boxes of clothing were sent to the Ramada Inn in Southfield where some 250 refugees from the south are now living.  In addition, we are providing help for one family in particular from that site and hopefully they will be resettled soon.

    # 5.  We have offered 100 boxes of school supplies, clothing, bedding and blankets to another shipment that is leaving from the Toledo, Ohio area.  They will come and pick up these gifts during the middle of this week.

    The American Polish Assistance Association is more than happy to cooperate with all area agencies in this important work on behalf of the people who have suffered so much from Katrina.  We thank our members and supporters for their unending kindness and love.  Our phone number in Michigan is 586 - 778-8766.  Bog Zaplac.

The American Polish Assistance Association is beginning to organize its Christmas programs on behalf of the children’s homes and orphanages in Poland and neighboring Eastern European countries.  We know that this is early in the year but the project has to get started so that containers can be filled, shipped and received in Poland in time for the holidays.

The reason for this letter is to enlist your help with this very important endeavor.  We want to establish contact with stores, churches and organizations that would be willing to be receiving areas for gifts that people might want to donate during the months of September and October.  We would be able to publicize the names, locals and the hours during which people could bring their donations.  Then, perhaps every two weeks or more often if necessary, the APAA would pick up the gifts and bring them to our center.  We of course would also appreciate help with deliveries to our center in Eastpointe since our group is completely run by volunteers.

If your group would like to help, please respond in writing.  We can explain about types of donations and all of the other areas of assistance that are needed.   For this holiday season we want to be certain that “We are bringing smiles to the children of Eastern Europe.”

We wish all of you the very best for the members of your parish and in all of the community work that you do for others.

On May 23, 2005, at 12 noon, the second container was picked up from the area near our center and taken to New York for shipment to Poland.  The estimated weight of our packages is 17 tons.  Also shipped were 33 bicycles and office furniture.  The container will reach Gdynia and then arrive in Lublin on June 16 (give or take a day or two. All of the participating orphanages and children's centers will then send trucks to pick up their gifts.  No one center is receiving less than 60 boxes.  The volunteers of Lublin, who represent over 30 groups, receive almost 400 boxes.  A special shipment will also be picked up by the Children's Home in Rowno, Ukraine.

Once again, we cannot thank everyone enough for the large number of hours that were devoted to sorting, packing and loading. We had many volunteers and could not have accomplished this container shipment without their help (pictures).

Click here for an article from Polish Weekly (www.polishweekly.com) about container shipment

We are receiving response from Poland after sending the second container click here

   Forty members and friends of the American Polish Assistance Association recently visited the Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.

   “It was a trip in honor of our departed Holy Father,” said APAA President Michael Krolewski, “he was a champion of diversity and respect for all people and religions.  It was only fitting.”

   The group visited on Monday, June 20, 2005, welcomed first by Mr. & Mrs. Donald Davis, members of the congregation and also APAA supporters.  They introduced everyone to Rabbi Daniel Nevins, a young energetic and charismatic speaker.  He welcomed them to the main part of the synagogue where he gave a clear and sometimes light-hearted description of Judaism. 

    One of the most moving moments of that presentation was the Rabbi’s invitation to see the “Torah” or Scroll of the Holy Word.  He opened the Torah and read in Hebrew from the Old Testament.  “I was surprised,” said participant Alex Krinos, “I did not expect to be invited to the altar and to be given such an open exposure to the many Torahs enshrined.  It was a very moving experience.”

    Rabbi Nevins, who cited that some of his own ancestors came from Bialystok, Poland, drew comparisons between the suffering of the Jews and Poles in the past.  He also was aware of the ethnic settlement patterns in Detroit stating, “the Jews moved like the Poles in a wedge pattern – away from the central area where they first lived to the suburbs further and further from that old center.”

    In the sanctuary Rabbi Nevins also presented a most interesting Torah that has a place of honor.  It was one saved from the destruction of all synagogues by the Nazis during WWII.  Said Rabbi Nevins, “the Nazis wanted to murder all Jews, yet save their art works in a museum – a kind of tribute to the vanished race.  They did not succeed.  We remember all who have died by honoring this Torah.”  The rescued Torah was part of a large collection of Jewish artifacts that were stored in Prague during and after the war.

    After the lecture, APAA members were treated to a kosher meal in the church hall prepared by Chef Jeff Rosenberg.   A surprising part of the meal was the welcome – a piece of freshly baked “chalka” with salt, almost identical to the tradition of bread and salt observed in Poland for generations.

    “It was a blessed evening,” remarked participant Catherine Krueger, “to our pleasant surprise we overcame misconceptions about being allowed to visit a synagogue.  Not only we were allowed by we were told that services were open to the public.” 

    Phyllis Vymazal also enjoyed the trip. “I recommend such a visit to everyone.  We fear or distrust what we don’t understand.  If we are to have peace in our hearts and on this earth, what better way to begin than to reach out beyond our own small circle that is often surrounded by misunderstandings and half-truths.”

    Mr. And Mrs. Donald Davis who extended the invitation to the APAA hope to now encourage members of their congregation to visit a Polish liturgical center.  “We’ve been to several Polish events with the APAA and have been pleased that we could help in the endeavors for the orphans.  Also, the programs with the folk dancers and artists have been spectacular.  We all need to share a little more.”

    The event ended with Rabbi Nevins extending an open invitation for the group to return any time.  It certainly will happen if the positive reaction of participants is any indication.  APAA Vice-President Jerry Sielagoski summed up the day in saying, “Rabbi Nevins explanation of the Jewish secular differences, religious practices and their symbolism, and the tour of the synagogue were very interesting and informative.  We should come to realize that we are all God’s children and differ only in how we interpret or understand how God wants us to serve Him.  The important thing is that we do our best.”

     The American Polish Assistance Association plans another tour to Adat Shalom Synagogue in perhaps August or September.  Those who are interested in participating should call the center at 586 – 778-9766 or intermittently check the Website: www.apaa.us

Our evening dinner on March 10, 2005, at the Eastpointe Manor was a tremendous success.  We are thankful the 131 people that came to the dinner - many not paying attention to the announcement that there would be a few inches of snow for the evening.

The prepared food received only compliments for Benedict Bommarto and his crew.  The sales representative, Jenny, was helpful in every way and made sure everything was to our satisfaction.  We thank that many people were there for the first time in a long time and they are going to be willing to have other events at the Eastpointe Manor.

Special thanks to our treasurer (who is my sister) Dolores Cetlinski.  Dolores spent her birthday with us - taking tickets, making out registration forms and welcoming guests.  She was assisted at the door by our member Lillians Tylenda-Demski.

Thank you to Alex Krinos, who monitored the selling of our folk art.  He was quite successful of making sales over $250.00.  This will be immeidiately used to pay some of our outstanding bills.

We thank Mrs. Grazyna Leszczynska of Lublin and Mrs. Wieslawa Lyko-Barwinska of Stalowa Wola for being able to attend the dinner.  Both had only arrived from Poland a few days ago.

And last....but certainly not least,...we want to express our gratitude to two dancing ensembles that braved the weather and provided entertainment of high quality.  The first ensemble was the "Behar" (meaning newly bloomed flower) Bosnian Ensemble of Hamtramck.  A group of some 20 children and parents came to present their culture and their enthusiasm.  After they danced, the "Dunajec" Polish Ensemble presented a lively program that everyone enjoyed.  "Dunajec" has its base a Our Lady of Czestochawa Parish in Sterling Hts.

We also want to thank everyone who helped to publicize the evening to friends and family.....the Polish Weekly, St. Hyacinth Parish, Polish Radio, Eastpointe Chamber of Commerce,  the Eastsider Newspaper, Rev. George Rutkowksi, Michigan Catholic Radio,  the Piast Institute, East Detroit Historical Committee, Mr. John & Valya Wolar and the Third Annual Eastpointe Worldfest. Your support and your belief in our work are something that is very much appreciated.

With the donations from members, the funds raised through the St. Nicholas Program, a forthcoming donation from St. Mary's Prep. and our profits from the Stefanie Powers Luncheon, we are able to pay for the container costs.  The total from Midwest Transatlantic Costs is $3,425.00. This was for the transportation of 16 tons of goods from Eastpointe to Lublin.  All packages have already been distributed and we are hearing only "good stories" and thanks from the centers where thousands of children have received out gifts.   For example, from one "Dom Dziecka"..."Each child received a box of crayons, 2 tablets, pens & pencils, a bundle of clothing according to needs, a new blanket, shoes and some treats for Christmas.  With 97 children in residence, we could never hope that our budget would permit such a happy time for everyone."
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard but more importantly, thank you to God who works miracles.

We are receiving response from Poland after sending container with parcels click here

On January 13, 2005, we had the honor of having Ms. Stefanie Powers, noted actress, singer and philanthropist, participate in our fund raiser on behalf of Polish orphans.  The event attracted some 140 individuals to the Banquet Facility at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Sterling Hts., Michigan.  The crowd would have been larger if it was not at noon - a time necessary since Ms. Powers had to be back early to the Fisher Theatre where she is starring in the King and I.
Ms. Powers exhibited an outer beauty that was only exceeded by her inner beauty.  She exchanged many ideas with our organization - and we able to do this is both Polish and English.  Her Polish descent comes from both sides of her family and in a speech to those present, she made is quite clear that she was very proud of her background and  quite capable of conversing in the language of her ancestors.
When all present insisted on pictures and autographs, Ms. Powers was kind enough to accommodate everyone.  Her approach to everyone, especially seniors, was kind and loving.  She made it a point to find those who had reached ages over 80 and told them about the members of her own family who were still living using Polish as their language.
The American Polish Assistance Association has been greatly blessed by this evening.  We thank Ms. Powers from our heart.