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Notice!

Youngstown Sister Cities has a new mailing address as of  Nov. 2022

Please send correspondence to:

                                YSCP

2634 Taft Avenue

   Youngstown, Ohio  

44502

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Our Largest Gown Shipment - 2023

       Our organization has just completed a shipment of 37 boxes containing over 700 gowns to SNV.  Below are some of the pictures that were taken during the  staging.  The shipping charges  were almost five thousand dollars!  We were fortunate that the gowns themselves were donated to a great cause.  This should keep our Sister City busy for a while, and just in time for Christmas!

Boxes on the shipping dock







Gowns on the rack waiting for shipment







All 37 boxes loaded ready for the shipper


Dresses donated to

Slovakia - 2019


YOUNGSTOWN /SPISSKA NOVA VES SISTER CITIES

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

     In 2016, the Youngstown/Spisska Nova Ves Sister Cities Program acquired forty new cocktail/evening dresses at no cost through the efforts of Sharon Bench Zacur.  Within the same time frame, Sandra Kay Bench was able to obtain 12 beautiful wedding gowns for virtually no cost. Four of the gowns were new, and the others had been worn one time.  It was decided that the combination of the two would be shipped to Slovakia.  The evening dresses were shipped to Spisska Nova Ves, and were eventually auctioned at a city event with the proceeds donated to charity.  The wedding gowns were shipped to Stary Smokovec where they were awarded to deserving Slovak women.  The positive feedback was highly rewarding and it should be mentioned that the shipment of the gowns and dresses, was one of the many projects initiated by the sister cities program since its inception in 1997 with the late Steve Bacon as its founder.

     As simple as it sounds, there were substantial hurdles which presented various obstacles.  Even though the used gowns were in excellent condition, there were some challenges along the way which included some staining which had to be addressed.  Board member Gigi Bacon along with Kay Bench concocted a home solution that when applied rendered the stains as completely dissolved.  Inquiries to various cleaning establishments relative to the cleaning and sanitizing of the gowns was discouraging as the projected costs were high.  An agreement was finally reached with a large cleaning establishment in Melbourne, Florida to clean and sanitize the gowns at an astonishing low price which was virtually a donation.  The only stipulation was an agreement to hold the owner harmless for any damages.  He then did the cleaning and sanitizing personally.  It should be mentioned that the cost of transporting the gowns to Florida was a no cost factor for the Sister Cities Program. An added advantage was the fact there was a pickup center in Melbourne, Florida with direct transportation to New Jersey and the eventual port of departure.  Thus, costs of shipping to New Jersey was eliminated. The total costs of the project, greatly diminished by the donated labor and volunteerism, made the project extremely cost effective and worthwhile.

     In the late fall of 2018, another opportunity presented itself as notification was received relative to the availability of new evening gowns.  Professor Mike Hricik, a good friend called with some interesting news.  A guest speaker, Mr. Reed Pederson, owner of MB Bride and Special Occasion, had addressed the students at the college, and following his address was speaking informally with Mike.  During the course of the conversation, Mr. Pederson related that he may have some new gowns that he would consider donating to a worthy cause.  Professor Hricik immediately advised him of our program, which then resulted in a few phone calls and a subsequent visit to his establishment. What an awakening!  The MB Bride and Special Occasion was beyond any expectation, as it was huge, beautifully stocked, highly organized, immaculately clean, and offering every conceivable service appropriate to a person’s need.  The owners, Maja and Reed  were highly receptive and cordial during the tour of their establishment.  They were most generous of their time spending in excess of three hours with us, despite the obvious demands of their business.  The gowns donated were beautiful and exceeded 300 in number.

     Due to the high number of gowns, a decision was made to divide the shipment equally to five locations in Slovakia, and they were to be given to deserving Slovak women.  Our program has many friends in Slovakia who were  willing to accept and distribute the gowns.  It entails more work, effort, and time than it appears.   Two boxes were shipped to Justin Sedlak and his lovely wife Lubica in Pezinok where Justin serves as the Prednosta Okresneho Uradu. (Regional Director)  Joseph Duraci, a long time director of folk groups accepted the shipment in Trencin, and great friend, and long time tour guide for our heritage tours Viera Marecova accepted the responsibility for the shipment in Star Smokevec for the villages in the Northern Spis Okres.  The fourth shipment to Levoce is scheduled for display and distribution in the lobby of the U Leva Hotel by the gracious couple Dr. Vladimir Petroci and wife Jana, owners of the hotel.   The shipment to our sister city, Spisska Nova Ves was handled by the capable administrative staff in the Mayor’s office, led by Public Relations Director, Maria Dutkova.

     The positive feedback received regarding the gowns was highly rewarding, and justified the effort involved in the process.  Viera Marecova for example related she had gone to her parish priest advising him of the availability of the gowns.  He made announcements to his congregation and the response was very positive.  Later the priest stated that many of the recipients could now attend spring proms that were unavailable to them in the past.  It was a good idea  to involve the priest in order to allay any suspicion, such as we had experienced with the wedding gowns previously mentioned.  The Slovak mothers of the brides expressed concerns that the awarding of the gowns was a trick.  They repeatedly exclaimed “why would anyone give away such beautiful gowns?” There were also other concerns and comments expressed, but too numerous for this article.

     The evening gown project was accomplished with full co-operation of the sister cities board of directors with each member fully participating and with enthusiasm.  A big word of appreciation is in order.

      It is with gratitude that we acknowledge Reed and Maja Pederson for their generosity.   They have made many Slovak women happy.  Maja and Reed will accompany us on our heritage tour in July 15-29th 2019, and they will meet the aforementioned Slovaks who have assisted with the gown distribution.  Once again, thank you to Professor Mike Hricik for immediately recommending our program.  Not only is he a good friend, he is the son of our very good friend, the late Thomas Hricik, past President of the First Catholic Slovak Union (1994-2006).

     The Youngstown Spisska Nova Ves Sister Cities is a federally certified non-profit organization.  Board members are volunteers and receive no form of compensation or expense reimbursement.  Sister Cities has been highly active with many past projects and more planned for the future.  We are indebted to the National Slovak organizations for their continued financial and fraternal support.

                                                          Jim Bench

                                                       2019

Sister Cities 25th

Anniversary Celebrated
by Hosting SNV

Mayor Jan Volny

vv


Front row: Loretta Ekoniak, Ron Garchar, Ray Novotny, Spišská Nová Ves Councilman Adnan Akram. Back Row: Sister Cities Vice-President Ken Shirilla, Spišská Nová Ves Mayor Ján Volný, Sister Cities Secretary Bernadette Demechko, Youngstown Mayor John McNally, GiGi Bacon, Sister Cities President James Bench, John Slanina.

July 2017












Visitors from SNV

May - 2016

     From May 2nd through May 16th, the Youngstown area had visitors from Spisska Nova Ves. Maria (Sedlackova) Majercakova and her grandson Vlado made their first trip to America. Maria has relatives and friends in the Youngstown area and has not seen them for over 40 years. 


    Later in the visit, the Sister Cities organization treated Maria and Vlado to a special dinner in downtown Youngstown at the former Youngstown
Club which is now the Fifth Floor restaurant on Commerce St. 

   In attendance was seated L-R, Suzy Garchar, Maria, Loretta Ekoniak and Bernie Demechko. Standing L-R was Ron Garchar, Gigi Bacon, Vlado, Mike Ekoniak
and Ken Shirilla.  

      The Sister Cities organization seldom gets visitors from the old country, so when we do we will make sure to help them find relatives, see the sights around Youngstown and show them the same hospitality that we get when we visit Slovakia.

20th Anniversary
of
Youngstown-Spišská Nová Ves Sister Cities!

Youngstown-Spišská Nová Ves Sister Cities celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2011. To commemorate this event, YSCP delegates presented Mayor Volny with a special plaque to be displayed in the City Hall. The hand-struck aluminum plates and bars are resting on a red velvet background and show a Youngstown skyline, the Ohio seal, the SNV Coat of Arms and a list of the current Board of Directors.


Below is a picture of the plaque presented to Mayor Volny.
   





During the 14th tour to Slovakia,  in addition to the plaque, Jim Bench presented Mayor Volny with a check for $5650 to assist with the purchase of a new pump for the SNV fire truck. The amount was half the cost of the unit, with the balance to be paid by the city of SNV. As of this writing, the SNV Volunteer Fire Department has received and installed the new pump, benefitting the residents of Spiš county. A letter accompanied the donation listing the fraternal societies and private individuals who had donated to the project.


SNV firemen posing with new portable pump






  SNV firemen testing out new pump funded by Sister Cities donation







  Sister Cities V.P. Jim Bench delivering donation at SNV city hall




At a special anniversary dinner held for the tourists and local dignitaries, Mayor Volny and Jim Bench representing Youngstown, agreed to continue this working partnership into the future.









YSCP Hosts a Special Visitor!


On May 3rd, 2012, I had the pleasure of hosting special visitors from Slovakia. Miriama Svetkovská and her fiancé Marian Letovanec visited for one day and two nights, while on a two week vacation in the states. Our connection with Miriama started several years ago when Sister Cities vice president Jim Bench found out that a student from Spišska Nová Ves was attending Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Since Youngstown is the sister city of SNV, Jim was interested in making a connection with Miriama. Jim was able to obtain Miriama’s phone number and contacted her. The timing was such that the Slovak Fest at St. Matthias was approaching, so Miriama was invited to come and meet Slovak-Americans in the valley. Miriama made the drive to Youngstown and met many members of the Sister Cities and ASCA organizations. As luck would have it, I was out of town that day and missed the visit, but I was able to stay in contact through email and postal mail. During my last visit to Slovakia, I set aside time to meet Miriama and her family. I stayed with them for three days and had a wonderful time. They treated me like family and are good examples of down-to-earth Slovak hospitality. Miriama’s father Jan is a fireman with the SNV fire department. Miriama’s mom Anna works as an accountant and is a great cook (I liked everything she made!). Amazingly, her maiden name is Garčar (what are the chances?)! So, during my visit I was able to meet Dedo a Babka Garčar and verified that we are not related. Miriama has one sister, Dominika, who is in her first year of study in Bratislava to become a pharmacist. Both the Sister Cities and ASCA organizations have supported Miriama with her studies, and when we found out she was applying for a job at the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava, both Jim Bench and I wrote letters of recommendation in her behalf. The opening was for an Economic Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador. A large number of people applied for the position, but despite her youth, Miriama was awarded the position! Now, the Mahoning valley has a personal friend in the embassy in Bratislava! When we found out Miriama and Marian were planning a trip to the states, we suggested a stop in Youngstown was in order. We planned a reception at my house for members to come and visit and celebrate Miriama’s accomplishments. The weather cooperated and we had a great day with our guests and shared some great Slovak food (holubky and pirohy) and drink. Miriama and Marian had a great time as did the 16 visitors who came from as far as Pa. and Cleveland to attend. We hope this will not be the last time they visit the valley.

                               Do Videnia Miriama a Marian,                  
                                                                       Ron Garchar

Miriama Svetkovská
Economic Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador in Bratislava






A Meeting with the SNV Mayor Jan Volny

 

   In August of 2009, while visiting relatives in Slovakia, I had the pleasure of delivering a small gift to the mayor Jan Volny of Spišská Nová Ves. Youngstown is one of a handful of cities that are designated ‘sister city’ to Spišská Nová Ves. Whenever someone from our organization visits the region, it is customary to pay a visit to the mayor and exchange friendship and gifts. A YSU wall clock was given to the mayor so he will think of Youngstown as he checks the time. In return, he provided me with posters, literature and maps for our members to enjoy.

I talked to the mayor with the help of translator Lucia Kormošová. At the time, she was the Public Relations director for the mayor. My visit lasted 20 minutes and we both reaffirmed the commitment of Youngstown and Spišská Nová Ves working together in the future for the benefit of both cities. My visit ended with the customary ‘double shot’ of slivovica and Lucia escorted me out of the mayor’s chambers. In the city hall lobby, I also gave Lucia a small gift from Youngstown for all her help. (see photo below)

                                                                          

By Ron Garchar         





Ružomberok Orphanage Update


   In August, 2009 I spent three weeks in Slovakia visiting relatives and doing family tree research. One of my side trips I had planned, was to visit the Roman Catholic orphanage in Ružomberok. I had been there twice before, and each visit was both enjoyable and sad. The Sister Cities organization has supported the work going on there for years, and I was to deliver some financial aide on behalf of our group. One of the older nuns was there to greet me as I arrived. Sister Viliamas Mihalusova OSF was thrilled to have a visitor from America, and she immediately brought out kolači and drinks for us to share. Sister will be 80 years old soon but you would never know it by the way she scurries around the grounds. As is common in most of eastern Slovakia, outside the orphanage is a large garden and many surrounding flower beds. The children help to maintain both and they are very proud of the yield from each.
  
  Sister was very appreciative of the gifts I delivered and wished to thank everyone in Youngstown for their support over the years. She then proceeded to say that there are 70 children supported by the orphanage and they are divided up in to two groups. The first group of 40 children are ones that have learning disabilities or handicaps. These kids who range in age from 3 to 18 stay on campus and attend school and live in an adjacent building next to the school. Both groups are a mixture of boys and girls. The second group consists of kids who can function without help. They are housed in three apartments off campus in downtown Ru
žomberok. There are 10 kids in each dorm and they are supervised by three nuns and two aides. This arrangement is designed to prepare the kids for foster homes in the future which the government is directing. They want to follow the pattern that the United States is using to handle the same situation. This is a new direction from the way the kids were handled in the past. Sister said she has mixed emotions as to the outcome of this approach. After visiting with some of the kids that were available, I toured the grounds and tried to conclude my visit. As in past visits, the kids do not want you to leave and were asking a million questions about America. If you sit down, they crowd around you as if you are the first visitor they have had for months. As demanding as it was, I enjoyed every minute. As bad as my Slovak is, they hang on every word you say and laugh often at my ‘broken’ angličky. I happened to rent a large SUV for my vehicle there, and the kids were facinated with the size of it and the big tailgate that lifted up. Before I left, I let each one sit in the driver’s seat and blow the horn. How amazing it was to see how thrilled they were to do such a simple act that kids in America would consider boring! As I left, I could hardly get out the gate because of the kids waving goodbye and running around. It was very evident how starved for attention they were. One of the things that strikes you, is the way the kids interact. Many walk around arm-in-arm, or hands on each others shoulders. It’s evident these are their only friends, and they stick together like a family. Many of the kids there have no parents at all, and no relatives either. Some may have known one parent only for them to disown their child and give them to the orphanage. Others were abandoned at a young age and will never know their parents. As you leave, you can’t help but feel sad, even though the kids are very lucky they have a place to stay and people who care for them.
      
UPDATE 2019:

The Deitky Dom (Chldren's Home) closed several years ago  when a new policy stated children would be sent to foster homes and orphanages would be closed.

Sister  Viliama  Mihalusova  worked with children for many years but is now enjoying retirement.

by  Ron Garchar  



Roman Catholic Orphanage in Ružomberok, Slovakia






Sister Viliamas Mihalusová OSF








Sister Viliamas and Ron Garchar at the orphanage





Some of the 70 children I visited on my birthday

at the orphanage, August 8th, 2009




by Ron Garchar 


 revised 10-Nov-2022