Happy 94th birthday to Maria Nebesio – our long-time supporter and a new UCC President’s Club Member.
Recently, I had the privilege to talk to Mrs. Maria Nebesio and asked her a few questions about her life experiences.
Mrs. Nebesio arrived in Vancouver in 1948 and became involved in our community almost immediately. Eventually she settled in Toronto where she raised her family, worked as a Ukrainian teacher, and teacher assistant. To her it was very important to be connected to her Ukrainian culture. She understood that if our community wants to be strong, we must all invest in it. “A strong financial support with strong leaders is the key to our community’s success.” For that reason, at the tender age of 94, she continues to make financial contributions to her favorite Ukrainian organizations including the UCC-National. When asked why she chose the UCC-National, she simply replied “I know that our community can only be successful if we have someone strong like the UCC-National representing our interests. A strong UCC equals a strong community and a strong Ukraine. If we all pitch in and work hard, we can make a difference that will benefit all of us”. Mrs. Nebesio is very passionate about the UCC projects “because they address a variety of issues which I believe are vital for the community and Ukraine”. Mrs. Nebesio also commented on the “energy and professionalism of the UCC board members, the staff, and the results the UCC achieves with our Canadian Government”.
З днем народження бажаємо Вам здоров’я та щастя.
Дякуємо Вам за те, що ви є членом сім’ї КУК!
We are fortunate that Mrs. Nebesio shared with us one of her beautiful poems.
Грудочку рідної землі
Я зі собою в світ взяла,
Щоб на далекій чужині
Вітчизна зі мною була.
Бо та земля мені свята,
По ній ходила я щодня,
Вона мене годувала,
Молитви вчила, в церкву вела.
Її забути сил нема,
Вона зі мною все життя,
В думках, піснях, пророчих снах,
Вона любов, мій рідний край.
Марія Небесьо
