Bergholz church supporting Ukraine

Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 26—St. James' Lutheran Church in Bergholz is raising funds and collecting donations for Ukraine, according to Jennifer Parrish, a long-time church member and organist.

Parrish said the church has joined with Spiritual Orphans Network (SON) which works directly with trusted pastors in the war-torn Eastern European nation and donates 100% of raised funds to charities that directly benefit people.

The church and supporters have been selling wristbands embedded with sunflower seeds.

The congregation also took a collection earlier this month and will do another during the first Sunday in June.

On Friday, the church is planning a euchre tournament. The goal is to raise $5,000 or more.

Parrish said she became interested and involved in part because her married name was Skorik and her former in-laws were from Odessa.

Parrish said she felt connected to Odessa, Ukraine, because her children's great-grandparents immigrated to the Town of Niagara from there.

Parrish said her eldest son, Rick Skorik just retired from 20 years serving as an Army officer in Military Intelligence, and had served with the Georgian (formerly part of Russia) troops on one of his two tours of Iraq, serving as a Russian interpreter.

Skorik is now working with two agencies near his current home in Boston sending aid directly to the Ukraine. He works with Sunflowers for Peace as well as Christ the King Ukrainian Church in Boston, which has an Amazon Wish List called "Ukraine Forward", where anyone can choose items and have them sent directly to the church, where they are quickly packaged and flown directly into the Ukraine.

Anyone wishing to purchase a euchre ticket can call (716) 731-4057. The church also has packs of sunflower seeds (a symbol of Ukraine) as well as wristbands and various lapel pins that are available at the church for a suggested donation of $5 each.

One of the church's "Friends of the Ukraine" committee members, John Sherrer, business agent for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 237 secured a $1,000 donation from the union.