Neighbors on both sides of Diana and Steve Paproski at Castle Hill Farm have planted Ukraine flags and similar shows of support in their yards for the Newtown family with generations of relatives in Ukraine.

Countless others in town have also done what they can to help the family continue growing a collection of emergency supplies that has already filled one shipping container on its way to Poland — ultimately delivering to Ukraine hospitals and orphanages — with a second already being filled and scheduled for shipment later this month.

For 45 years (and counting… ) the Paproski family has hosted a popular Ukrainian Festival. Droves of people have been welcomed to the all-day event that traditionally opens with Divine Liturgy before guests immerse themselves in Ukrainian food specialties, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and much more, all on the family’s farm in Newtown.

Steve Paproski and his sister Gloria P. Horbaty co-organize the event, with sponsorship by Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bridgeport.

That is how many regional residents know about the Paproskis and their ties to Ukraine.

Closer friends also know that generations of the family have emigrated to this country, including Steve’s grandparents, to Newtown, at the beginning of the 20th Century. His mother, the late Olga (Liteplo) Paproski, spent decades helping fellow Ukrainians emigrate.

Family and friends are still in the country that has been under attack by Russian forces since late February, however. Some near the country’s capital of Kiev have relocated, while others, including some in the Lviv region — in the western side of the country — have been able to make the 70-plus mile trek west into Poland.

Just last week the Paproskis learned that one of Steve’s first cousins, Zenyk, his wife, their daughter-in-law, and their grandchild were all able to safety get into Poland. Zenyk’s son, however, stayed behind to fight in the war.

Another cousin and his family have stayed in Ukraine, according to Diana Paproski, who spoke with The Newtown Bee recently about collections she and her family have been undertaking since March thanks to serendipitous connections “and amazing people right here in Newtown,” she said.

Filling Shipping Containers

The Paproski family has been farming in Newtown since 1927. That was the year Justyna (Stec) and Stephan Paproski purchased the core land on Sugar Lane that has become Castle Hill Farm, a few years after the young couple emigrated from Ukraine and found their first home on West Street.

Steve Paproski, now the family patriarch, is a grandson of Justyna and Stephan. He and his wife Diana have built a life on the same land his grandparents and their descendants have worked. The couple has also instilled in their children and grandchildren a love for their maternal and paternal ancestors and family culture.

What began in March as a family effort to get items into the hands of relatives and others in Ukraine has turned into a countywide undertaking that continues to put emergency items into the hands of those who need them in the eastern European country.

There were a few false starts — deliveries that were larger than what could be accepted, but each of those leads became important lessons — and now the family is able to commit donations from friends, neighbors, families, and even strangers to their ultimate intended destination.

Through connections with cousins in New York, some of the first items donated to the Paproskis went to Yonkers, N.Y. Those items were added to a nearly full container shipping out through Meest, a shipping company founded in 2008 in Lviv, Ukraine.

“They were unable to take our full collection, though. They were nearly full when we arrived,” Diana said. “The shipping company was backlogged,” she added.

No worries. It wasn’t long before Ann Feltch, a family friend, connected the Paproskis with St Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Britain.

“Our main connection there is Maria Bereza, the wife of Father Stefan at St Josaphat’s,” Diana said. “Maria speaks to people every single day, in Poland and Ukraine, especially Medyka [Poland], where a lot of the border crossing is happening.”

The next truckload of donations went to New Britain; however, the container on that lead was just about full, too.

“They were working with UConn Health, and it was nearly full already with medical supplies,” Diana said. The church allowed the Paproskis to drop off a few more truckloads of items for future shipments, but all involved knew that was not going to be the longstanding solution.

Enter another friend, J.C. Carter, who reached out to Diana and Steve to see if he could help with anything. Carter, according to Diana, works for “a small family-run manufacturing company in Norwalk” which in turn is run by the King family. King Industries does business around the world, and has access to shipping containers and travel lanes.

“They generously offered a container to be shipped any place it needed to go,” Diana said.

With that, the Paproskis had their own destination for the growing piles of donations arriving daily at the farm.

“We are collecting medical supplies and other necessities,” Paproski said. “No used clothing.

“The situation over there is volatile, and they just need these emergency supplies,” she said.

Medical kits, trauma kits, and Pedialyte filled more than half of the first shipping container.

“The big thing now is blood clotting packets,” she said. “They’re small, and you can order them online, and it’s like gold over there.”

Happy Surprises

King Industries also began collecting items to fill its container, as did others.

Diana heard from Michelle Grossman and Amy Hester, two friends and former colleagues at Pequenakonck Elementary School in North Salem, where she used to work. They organized and then delivered a large collection to Castle Hill Farm in recent weeks.

Hester also reached out through a riding club she is part of, according to Diana.

“They donated about three pickups full of donations,” she said.

The Kurshnir family of Easton, who the Paproskis know through their church, collected enough medical supplies through a drive done in one of that town’s elementary schools to fill a pickup truck.

Even when Steve Paproski went for a recent medical appointment, Diana said, the office staff there sent him home with “a huge box” of medical supplies.

“The community of Newtown and surrounding towns is just amazing,” she said.

Diana credits Sandy Hook resident Suzanne Davenport with sharing a Facebook post by Castle Hill Farm in getting a request for the specific emergency items out via social media networks.

“She was one of the first to share that, and she now answers all the questions, does updates, and keeps people informed,” Diana said. “She’s been amazing.

“There are a lot of people involved in this,” she said.

Once word started spreading, more donations continued arriving. The majority are being placed in a white minivan that has been parked at the base of the driveway of 40 Sugar Lane. The van provides safe cover in all weather conditions for the donated items. It is also checked and emptied regularly for safe collecting.

Additionally, some donations have arrived via direct delivery to the farm, according to the family. Within just a few weeks, it was time to head to Norwalk.

First Container Filled

On April 5 — having spent nearly eight hours the previous afternoon and evening carefully packing an enclosed utility van donated by Shakespeare’s Garden for transport — the Paproskis drove to King Industries in Norwalk to fill the promised shipping container.

The couple, with a few friends helping, had also filled the bed and back seat of their GMC Sierra with donations. There was just enough room for Diana and Steve to sit in the truck’s front seat for the ride. When they arrived in Norwalk, there was plenty of help waiting for them.

“King employees were right there sorting and loading,” said Diana. Steve and Diana’s younger daughter Shannon and her fiancé Chris Doyle were also there on April 5, sorting and packing.

The bill of lading indicated every item in the container, Diana noted. Boxes were also labeled to help those on the receiving end in a few weeks.

“We had to itemize everything, and then when we started packing and closing the boxes I labeled each one, in Polish and Ukrainian,” she said.

The container is heading toward the Netherlands, according to Diana. From there it will move inland 900 miles, to Medyka, Poland. A driver will then transport it another 200 miles, into Ukraine, where the contents will be distributed to three orphanages and two hospitals.

“It’s really an amazing thing, the way this has come together,” Diana said, not for the first time, this week. “We know who the driver is who will be taking the donations into Ukraine! The people in Poland were able to provide a copy of the certificate that shows he is allowed to drive there. I even have a copy of his driver’s license.”

Beyond that, when the Paproskis were in Norwalk at the King location, Father Ivan Mazuryk from Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bridgeport was also there. That’s when another wonderful coincidence occurred.

“Father Ivan came to see the packing,” said Diana. “It turns out he personally knows the driver.

“He was telling us that Fadir [the driver] is honest and trustworthy. It put my mind at ease. The timing was perfect. It was like the final seal on this whole thing, start to finish.”

The Paproskis are accepting donations until the evening of Sunday, April 24. The following morning they will be making their next trek to Norwalk and King Industries.

Words Of Caution, And Thanks

Diana understands there are multiple opportunities for people to help get supplies to those in Ukraine. She offers a few words of caution for those who do not donate through her family’s efforts.

“They don’t need used clothing in Ukraine right now. There’s nowhere to store them, here or there,” she said. “Shipping companies are overburdened, and don’t have anywhere to just keep used clothing.”

Consider alternative donations, she said. That, and make sure those who are collecting have clear plans for where donations will be going.

“Make sure they have shipping containers arranged for, and they know that there is someone on the other side expecting these deliveries,” she said.

Whether donations find their way to 40 Sugar Lane or to someone else offering aid for those in Ukraine, the Paproskis are thankful for everything their neighbors and fellow Newtown residents have already done.

“We are so very grateful,” Diana said Monday afternoon. “We are so indebted to every person who has done anything to help.”

It’s heartbreaking, she said, for the family to watch and hear the news out of Ukraine. Diana was very concerned last week, she said, with the approach of Holy Week and the importance of Easter traditions in Ukrainian culture.

“This is a huge week for them,” she said. “We are so worried over what could happen if they continue their traditions — children go to get their Easter baskets blessed, it’s a time for celebrations and gatherings. In Ukrainian tradition, this week is very, very important.

“Steve is just devastated,” Diana said. “This is so difficult for him, and for so many people.

“It’s taken a village to do all of this though, and we know that,” she continued. “We are very, very appreciative.”

Ukraine Collection Requests

The following items are requested by the Paproski family, who are helping others fill a second shipping container with items that will ultimately be delivered to Ukraine hospitals and orphanages:

*Sleeping bags and blankets (new ones, which are wrapped tightly and take up less room in shipping containers, are preferred; lightly used ones also welcome)

*Children’s over-the-counter medicine including Children’s Motrin and Children’s Tylenol

*Children’s underwear and socks

*Adult tube socks

*Pedialyte

*Ensure

*Diapers

*Bandages and dressings

*Blood-clotting packets

*First-aid supplies

Items can be placed in the white minivan parked at the base of the driveway at 40 Sugar Lane. The van is monitored, and items are picked up regularly.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.