Relief Committee for Poles in Former USSRAid for three million ethnic Poles in former Soviet Union
by Gene Harubin Zygmont
Relief Committee for Poles in Former USSR (RCPFUSSR) was founded in June, 1989, to aid the three million ethnic Poles scattered throughout the former Soviet Union in their effort to rebuild their national and spiritual heritage. For over half a century, they have been virtually out of touch with their roots. They are, for the most part, children or grandchildren of Poles who were forcibly deported from Eastern Poland to the Gulags of Siberia and North European Russia or those who lived in territories lost by Poland during and after World War II to Lithuania, Belorus and Ukraine.
Since the breakup of the USSR, members of these Polish communities have been allowed to form associations, establish Polish schools, parishes, cultural and social clubs.
The purposes of the RCPFUSSR are to maintain contact with these ethnic Poles and to send aid in the form of Polish language Bibles, books, newspapers and magazines; organize cultural exchanges; support Polish schools; aid Polish parishes and bring children to Poland for summer camp.
Since its inception, the RCPFUSSR has sponsored evening dinners and entertainments, picnics and raffles to raise funds for this project and, to date, has sent over $70,000.00 in supplies to aid their fellow Poles living in the Eastern Europe. This aid includes computers, vitamins, vestments for priests, rosaries and other items.
Since 1989, Franciszek Kosowicz has served as President. Currently assisting him are Tadeusz Maciejowski, Vice-President, Hanna Gutkowska, Treasurer and Committee members Michael M. Dutkowski, Zbigniew Kowalski, Michal Zawadzki and Franciszek Zurawski.
From: Polish Americans in California, vol. II. National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs & Polish American Historical Association. California 1995.