APRIL 2020 EBULLETIN - VOLUME 85

SHEVCHENKO FOUNDATIONWISHES YOU A BLESSED EASTER!

president’s message

We are in a time of reflection and self-awareness that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that this has hit us hard during the Lenten period has given us greater pause to consider our own mortality, our place in this world, and perhaps, most importantly, how we can help others in these difficult times.

The world has changed, and yet it hasn’t changed. I wanted to personally reach out to all of you on behalf of the Shevchenko Foundation to assure you that your Foundation is durable, proactive, and exercising utmost care as the stewards of our funds and services for the benefit of our donors and grantees and the Ukrainian community in general.

Enduring through Tough Times

Enduring and succeeding through tough times is not new to the Ukrainian Canadian community. Our first generation had to “conquer” the hardships of a new life in a new land to prosper, build and establish themselves as the founding settler peoples of Canada. I have been to many cemeteries, particularly in Western Canada, and the horrific human toll of the Spanish flu epidemic has placed an indelible mark on my memory of what these early pioneers had to endure. During the First World War they also endured curtailments of their civil liberties, and some were forcibly interned. But endure they did.

Our second generation of Ukrainian Canadians suffered the Great Depression, foreclosures of farm property and dislocation of the family through poverty. In spite of this, they used their unfaltering community spirit to help their neighbors through extremely difficult times, only to come to know that their families and compatriots in Ukraine were perishing in the genocide – the Holodomor.

Our third generation in Canada went off to war to fight for freedom and prevent worldwide oppression. Many of our families lived through the horrors of World War II and many escaped communist brutality to find a new life in Canada and to lay down the groundwork for the establishment of the now Ukrainian Canadian Congress and our own beloved Shevchenko Foundation.

Our fourth generation had a much easier path to follow, but it set to work earnestly on building and expanding the organizations and services that many of us enjoy to this day. They also survived 9-11, SARS, the 2008 global financial crisis, H1N1 and other calamities.

Our fifth generation, together with the previous two, is now moving through the COVID-19 pandemic but is doing so with resolve.

On a personal note, I became a grandfather again less than two months ago, and my daughter will be giving birth in June to the “next” generation. That next generation, who I will refer to as the “Coronials”, comes into a world that once again has uncertainty built into it. But what I am 100% confident of is that one of these “Coronials” will one day become a community leader, perhaps even the President of the Shevchenko Foundation, and will look back with pride at how we acted now to preserve their future.

I ask each of you to do what you can to move forward and “prepare the way” for that new generation, those “Coronials”, and the generations to follow.

Our Current Priorities

One of the main priorities of the Shevchenko Foundation is the health and safety of our staff, most of whom are working from home, who continue to monitor all communications and provide services to those who require assistance with applications, donations, or any other inquiries. I send a special “thank you” to them for continuing the fine frontline work of our Foundation.

Our investment strategies adopted by our Investment Committee were designed to mitigate market volatility and they are proving successful. History will show that it was wise for the Shevchenko Foundation to be invested in the long term and to require our portfolio managers to closely monitor our well diversified investment portfolio.

Our Future

As the pandemic subsides and, ultimately, once a vaccine is found, the great organizational strength and creativity of our Ukrainian Canadian community will need a healthy Shevchenko Foundation to continue to show Leadership, Stewardship, and Partnership.

At the end of the Lenten period comes the joy of Великдень - Easter, which for two millennia has brought unbridled hope and joy into our world.

In this spirit I wish you and your loved ones a Blessed Easter -“Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес”!

З Богом!

Andriy Hladyshevsky, Q.C.

GRANT DEADLINEEXTENSION

To accommodate potential project cancellation and/or postponement timelines, and difficulties in assembling documentation for grant submissions due to COVID-19, the Shevchenko Foundation is extending the April 1 grant deadline to Tuesday, April 14. Applicants who have already submitted applications may use this deadline extension to submit additional documentation or amend their application. If you are applying please consider how human and financial resources, timeline, project locations, and the interactions of participants affect the undertaking of your project in light of the uncertain impacts of COVID-19.

For more information contact us at admin@shevchenkofoundation.ca.

KOBZAR BOOK AWARD

KOBZAR™ BOOK AWARD WINNERSPONSORED BY

www.kobzarbookaward.com

The Shevchenko Foundation is pleased to announce that Our Familiar Hunger, by Laisha Rosnau is the winner of the 2020 Kobzar™ Book Award. The announcement of the winner was made by adjudicator Nino Ricci and Shevchenko Foundation President Andrew Hladyshevsky, Q.C., who presented the $20,000 prize to Ms Rosnau at the gala award ceremony held at the Palais Royale in Toronto on March 12, 2020.

A $5,000 prize was awarded to the publisher of the winning book – Nightwood Editions, and a prize of $1,500 awarded to each of the short-listed authors. A special gratitude is extended to the Kobzar Book Award sponsors for their generous support as well as the many donors who contributed to this event. Thank you to all who attended with special thanks to the 2020 Kobzar Book Award Committee members, chaired by Janice Taskey. For more information about the finalist and the content of the short-listed books, please visit www.kobzarbookaward.com.

kobzar book awardspresentaton

WATCHHERE!

IhnatowyczFamily Foundation

Zorianna & EugeneHyworon Family Foundation

mbzM I T C H E L L , B A R D Y N & Z A L U C K Y L L P

Barristers & Solicitors

Kobzar Literary AwardWinner andShortlisted Authors

Kobzar Literary AwardCommittee

PLATINUM SPONSOR $10,000

GOLD SPONSOR $7,500

AUTHOR READING SPONSORS $2,500

The Bone Mother - George & Strohyj & Halyna Zwirchowsky

Our Familiar Hunger - Bernard & Marianna Masnyk

We All Need to Eat - Franko Family Foundation

The North End Revisited - Zorianna & Eugene Hyworon Family Foundation

The Stories Were Not Told: Canada’s First World WarInternment Camps - Mitchell, Bardyn & Zalucky LLP

TRYZUB AWARDS GALAPOSTPONED

www.shevchenkofoundation.com

wE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

This is a time of great concern for all of us. That is why we are overwhelmed with gratitude to you – our donors, our partners, our supporters, for your continued generosity during these difficult times. If there is one thing we can be sure of, it’s our steadfast and unwavering community spirit. This same spirit will keep our Ukrainian Canadian community strong as we navigate our way through this rapidly-changing environment. If you require any information about making a one-time donation to the Shevchenko Foundation or if it is easier on your budget and for as little as $10 per month, you can become a monthly donor. We are here for you by phone at 1.866.524.5314, by email admin@shevchenkofoundation.ca or by visiting our website at www.shevchenkofoundation.com. We are all in this together – take care and be well.