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Polish Women's Alliance of America (PWA)
Zwi±zek Polek w Ameryce
6643 North Northwest Highway
2nd floor
Chicago, IL 60631
http://www.pwaa.org
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Contact:
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Mary Piergies
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Virginia Sikora 847-384-1200
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| Phone: |
847-384-1200 |
| Fax: |
847-384-1494 |
| Region: |
Chicago/Illinois |
| Scope: |
National |
| Year Organized: |
1898 |
| Legal Status:: |
Incorporated, Non Profit |
| State of Incorporation: |
Illinois |
| Principal Focus: |
Social/Fraternal |
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Scholarships/Financial Aid |
| Services: | Financial services | | Polish culture/dance instruction | | Polish language instruction | | Youth services |
Mission Statement:
To provide life insurance to members, promote Polish culture, foster Polish traditions.
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History/Achievements:
The Polish Women’s Alliance of America (PWAA) was founded on May 22, 1898 in Chicago, Illinois, as a fraternal benefit society. Fraternal benefit societies brought people together through a common bond with an offer of friendship and support while providing financial peace of mind for its members.
We were unique at the time of our founding, in the sense that, women were not included in the executive positions of fraternal societies, but our founders started PWAA for women with women as its leaders — a truly monumental achievement when women did not even have the right to vote yet.
Our founder, Stefania Chmielinska, was a Polish immigrant who worked as a seamstress in Chicago. From these humble beginnings she learned that women needed equality and worked to promote this cause. Her belief in the ability of immigrant women to establish themselves into an organization that would promote self-sufficiency and offer financial stability was quite progressive for the 1900s.
The right of women to pursue higher education, the right to enter many professions and the right of women to purchase life insurance in their own names were some of the issues tackled by our founding members. Stefania Chmielinska and our other founding members worked against these prejudices and narrow-mindedness to see Polish Women’s Alliance develop into a national organization and leader in the Polish and Polish American communities.
With this founding mission in mind, the organization has also taken on social, cultural and political roles to help their communities. During World War I and II, during the years of political freedom in Poland between the wars, and for almost 50 years of Communist rule in Poland, PWAA with other organizations in the United States worked to bring aid and moral support to the Polish nation, its people and religious institutions.
In the last one hundred years, PWAA members actively supported some of the following causes: Poland’s determination to become a nation after it “disappeared” from the map of Europe; Madame Maria Sklodowska Curie and funding of the purchase of radium for her experiments; World War II fundraising effort for a Polish Women’s Alliance “bomber” for the United States Air Force; the founding and organizing of the Polish American Congress in 1944; restoration and renovation projects for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA; Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington D.C. and the Pope John Paul II Pilgrim Home in Rome among others.
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Programs and Services:
The PWAA is one of the oldest fraternal benefit societies founded by women to help them and those they care about establish financial security and economic independence.
We provide our members, both men and women, with an array of affordable, flexible and competitive insurance plans, annuities and IRAs.
In addition, as a fraternal benefit society, we welcome you into a unique family. A family that prides itself on commitment to preserving Polish heritage and culture, developing a spirit of volunteerism and support for programs and projects that benefit humanity, and encouraging future generations to pursue excellence through education
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Officers and Directors:
- Honorary President - Helen V. Wojcik
- Honorary President - Helen Zielinski
- Advisory - Dr. Wieczorek
- Legal Counsel - Stone, Pgorund & Korey
- President - Virginia Sikora
- V-ce President - Sharon Zago
- Secretary General - Grazyna Migala
- Treasurer - Barbara M. Miller
- National Director - Helen Simmons
- National Director - Jennie Starzyk-Benton
- National Director - Antoinette Trella Vander-Noot
- National Director - Marcia Mackiewicz Duffy
- Director - Felicia Perlick
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Last Updated: 3/20/2008
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