EASTER is the most important holiday for Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. It is shrouded in unique traditions and rituals. One of them is decorating eggs for Easter. Egg, as a symbol of rebirth, is uniquely decorated “telling” a unique story. No wonder that Ukrainian Easter eggs are called “PYSANKY” from the word PYSATY (to write). By using specific symbols with their own meanings, each Easter egg has its own story “written” onto it (please see explanations of Ukrainian Easter egg symbolism to the right).

Even the colors used for Easter egg decorating, have their own meaning: RED for love, BLUE for health, GREEN for growth, YELLOW for spirituality, WHITE for purity ORANGE for attraction, BLACK for remembrance, VIOLET for power, PINK for success, BROWN for happiness.

Ukrainian Easter eggs are “written” using melted beeswax which is covering the color that needs to be protected. The egg then dipped into a dye and another melted beeswax layer is “written” to protect the next color, and so on. Finally, the wax is melted over a candle flame and wiped off from the egg revealing a multitude of colors and patterns.

If you’d like to learn more about this ancient Ukrainian tradition of Easter egg painting please consider attending a special workshop organized by Dr Yuliya Ladygina and the PSU Ukrainian Student Society on Sunday, April 13, 2025 from 1-3 pm in Bellefonte, 130 S. Allegheny Street.

Please consider joining us every Saturday at 2:00 pm at the Main Gate on College Ave (corner of South Allen St) to show our unwavering support for Ukraine and its people. side of history!

Now more than ever, our voices matter. We need to stand together in solidarity and raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for Ukraine’s sovereignty and freedom. Your presence will send a strong message of support and unity.

Please spread the word and bring your friends, family, and anyone who stands for democracy and justice. Every person counts!

We have purchased and delivered ten bed tables for rehabilitation department of the Zhytomyr Multi-disciplinary Hospital of Novohuivynsk Council in Stashivka village. Tables are manufactured in Ukraine and will be used for occupational therapy for patients. Each hospital in Ukraine now has a mandate to care for both civilian and military individuals.

THANK YOU ALL WHO HELPED!

There are more packages with medical supplies and equipment on the way to Ukraine.

On Saturday, March 22, 2025, Sister’s Sister hosted Ukrainian table at the WPSU Multicultural Youth Festival. We shared the ancient Ukrainian craft of wrap-around (rag) doll making. Thanks to our numerous volunteers from the Ukrainian community we were able to “dress” and “gift” several hundred little rag dolls. Our table was very popular from the beginning until the very end. Special thanks to Olenka Voloshchuk and Zhanna Kaminska who were did most of the preparatory work. We also exhibited the second installment of posters from Zaporizhia children. Please see many more pictures here: EVENTS

Zaporizhia Children’s Posters on the cover of SKIPPING STONES.

The children’s posters from Zaporizhia that were exhibited at our benefit concert last March of the world reknowned virtuozo violin player Vasyl Popadiuk, as well as at the WPSU Multicultural Children’s Festival 2024, are now on the cover of the multicultural children’s literary magazine “SKIPPING STONES“. There is a short update on p.29 about young Zaporizhia artists and Sister’s Sister activities.

Please consider visiting the magazine’s website or to purchase a copy of this issue for your child, grandchildren, or a school library here.

We are very proud of Ukrainian children and their teachers creating beuatiful and powerful art despite the horrors of the ongoing war.

NEWS: We are working on procuring medical supply for rehabilitation departments of several hospitals in Ukraine, including Novohuivynsk Village Hospital, Zhytomyr region, Zhytomyr Regional Hospital, Lviv Rehabilitation Clinic of Western Region Military Medical Center, and others. Thousands of soldies, civilians and children have been injured by shelling, explosives, folling buildings debris. Many of the injured suffered severe traumatic brain and/or spine injuries, polytraumas, and are amputees of 1-4 parts of the body. The rehabilitation clinics lack heart monitorings sensors, security belts for learning to walk, vestibular training goggles, post amputation compression socks, mobile bed tables, etc. If you are interested and able to donate, please see here. THANK YOU!

CONGRATULATIONS! Another good deed accomplished! Upon the request of the Director of Nizhyn Children’s Care Home for Disabled and Orphans, Ms. Olena Harmash, we were able to procure two sets of movable ramps for their facility. Apparantly, they had issues moving children in wheel chairs during air raids from the care home building to the bombshelter and to their care home van. The staff measured the stairs length and the van entrance height. We needed to find a movable ramp 3 meters (yards) long for the stairs and 2 meters long for the bus. After a considerable search we were able to find an enterpreneur in the city of Dnipro (Ukraine) who was able to order and manufacture the required ramps in Ukraine. “All are happy and greatful!” Ms. Harmash reported and shared some pictures with us.

ZAPORIZHIA CHILDREN

have received their art supply packages!

Our sincere gratitude goes to everyone who made this project possible, including:

The Skipping Stones magazine for their donation of multiple children’s books, as well as earlier copies of the Skipping Stones magazines. THANK YOU!

Our friends and neighbors: Peg Hambrick, Margaret Sebastianelli, Nina White, Catherine Wanner, Lee Washesky, Michael Naydan, Will Jones, and others.

We have successfully procured and donated office equipment to Nizhyn Territorial Center for Social Services (social services provider). The Center for Social Services (CSS) provides social services to citizens in difficult life circumstances who need assistance at the place of residence and in day care centers. The Territorial CSS has 4 structural divisions, in particular:

1) Social Assistance at Home;

2) Targeted in-kind and cash assistance;

3) Adult Day Care;

4) Day Care for children with disabilities and adults with disabilities (“Vira” (Hope)).

At present, the center provides services to about 2,000 people, including the elderly, children with disabilities, individuals with disabilities, and individuals in difficult life situations who require social assistance and support. In connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation and the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, these are the categories of citizens who require more attention and special care.

Due to the limited funding of the institution and the lack of ewsources, the Center was unable to meet some of the needs for outfitting and modernizing their premises to create appropriate conditions for the elderly, children with disabilities and disabled individuals, and to provide quality social services.

Thanks to our fund-raising efforts, we were able to raise funds to help Nizhyn CSS. Our first installment of office equipment was delevired to the Center last week. (Please, see the pictures below.) The entire aid package was procured from the Ukrainian office supply company from the city of Rivne. We are now working on the second aid installment.

We have an official THANK YOU letter from Nizhyn CSS, which is now being translated and will be posted shortly. THANK YOU ALL WHO WERE ABLE TO HELP!!!

The staff in the video thanks Sister’s Sister of State College for the invaluable assistance. Our aid package included two laptop computers with Windows OS, two printers/scanners, a projector, and a 55″ flat screen TV.

In the video on the left, the staff is testing the printer. Just check what comes out from the printer:

ДЯКУЮ ( DIA-koo-you!),

aka THANK YOU in English!

Lock Haven Garden Club Stone Sculpture

THANK YOU, LOCK HAVEN!

The Sunflower Gratitude wall is located at 1402 South Atherton Street in State College, PA. It was painted by Ukrainian visitors, local residents of Ukrainian origin and their friends led by Dr. Ludmila Kuzmych. It is dedicated to the 32nd Independence Day of Ukraine.