Slovenian Union Of America

PROMOTE AND PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF SLOVENIAN-AMERICANS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

DURING 2023 PRINTED 8,250 QUARTERLY MAGAZINES KNOW AS "ZARJA" (THE DAWN)" CONTAINS PRESIDENT'S REPORT ONEVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND LISTS NEW MEMBERS, DONORS NAMES AND AMOUNTS, DONATIONS OF ARTIFACTS, MEMBERSSUBMIT ARTICLES ON BRANCH ACTIVITIES, AND UPCOMING CONVENTION IN PUEBLO CO. ALL ZARJA'S FROM 1929 AREAVAILABLE ON LINE. THERE ARE TWO PART TIME EMPLOYEES AS EDITOR AND DESIGNOR.. HISTORICALLY ENVISION THOSEEARLY DAYS WHEN ONE COULD SEE WAGONS FULL OF ZARJAS BEING PULLED DOWN THE STREETS IN SLOVENIANNEIGHBORHOODS FOR DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERY, ZARJA WAS THE TEACHING TOOL THAT GUIDED THE SLOVENIAN WOMANINTO THE NEW SOCIETY. TODAY OUR YOUNGER GENERATION HAS BECOME A MIXTURE OF HERITAGES; MOST OF THESLOVENIAN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GONE, AS ARE THE SLOVENIAN CHURCHES. ONCE AGAIN, ZARJA HAS SHOWN ITSSTRENGTH AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL THAT PROMOTES CULTURE, TRADITIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS. ZARJA IS THE ONLYMAGAZINE PUBLISHED PRIMARILY TO PRESERVE THE ETHNIC CULTURE OF SLOVENIAN-AMERICANS. OVER 2,060 SLOVENIANAMERICAN FAMILIIES READ ZARJA'S QUARTERLY 44 COLORFUL PAGES .

TWO EDUCATIONAL GRANTS OF $1,000 EACH WAS PROVIDED, TOTALING $2,000BRANCHES DONATED TO OTHER NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS, TOTALING . $3,250SLOVENIAN TOUR EVENT IN HONOR OF FOUNDER, TOTALING ..........$2,623TOTAL 990 PART III LINE 4D EXPENSES $7,873

HERITAGE EDUATIONAL MUSEUM CONTAINS A COLLECTION OF IMMIGRANT'S ARTIFACTS SUCH AS PHOTOS, BOOKS, DIARIES,CLOTHING, UNIFORMS , TRUNKS, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WORK TOOLS, AND FURNITURE, THERE IS A SMALL GIFT SHOP ANDMUSEUM IS OPENED ONCE A WEEK IN 2024 FROM BY AN APPOINTMENT. LIBRARY HOLDINGS HAVE OVER 900 BOOKS ANDA SPECIAL COLLETION OF 126 BOOKS FROM A FAMOUS SLOVENIAN AMERICAN ARTIST BODGAN GROM (1918 TO 2013).HARTFORD INSURANCE PROVIDES COVERAGE OF $120,000 FOR MUSEUM ARTIFACTS AND $39,000 FOR FOUNDERSPORTRAIT, BOOKS AND A ROADSIDE CHAPEL.HISTORICALLY, ORGANIZATION MOVED FROM CHICAGO IL TO JOLIET IL IN NOVEMBER 1976 TO A 2 1/2 STORY BRICKBUILDING CONSTRUCTED IN 1910. TOTAL FIRST FLOOR IS 1,324 SQ FT, MUSEUM IS 729 SQ FT WITH LIBRARYHOLDINGS/OFFICE 363 SQ FT AND REAR 232 SQ FT CONTAINS REST ROOMS AND STORAGE.BUILDING IS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN JOLIET, IL AND ON FAMOUS STREET ROUTE 66.

THE 29TH NATIONAL CONVENTION , JUNE 15-17, 2023 WAS HELD IN PUEBLO COLORADO WHICH ROTATES TO STATESCONTAINING BRANCHES. THE ORGAINZATION;S 100TH ANNIVERSARY NATIIONAL CONVENTION IS TO BE HELDAUGUST 2026 IN FORTUNE BAY, TOWER MN,2023 PUELBO CONVENTION HAD 383 ATTENDING INCLUDING 203 MEMBERS,167 NON-MEMBERS AND 13 CHILDREN. 25 STATESWERE REPRESENTED ALONG WITH 18 BRANCHES. THE LARGEST EVENT WAS THE CONVENTION BANQUET WHICH HAD 336ATTENDEES. CONSUL GENERAL ALENKA JERAK FACILITATED THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIAN'S GRANT 5,500 EUROS ($5,978)AND BROUGHT THE "US AND THEM WITHOUT FRONTIERS" EXHIBIT TO PUEBLO. THIS DISPLAY WAS THROUGH JULY 31 AT THESTEELWORKS CENTER OF THE WEST'S STEELWORKS MUSEUM. PUEBLO'S MAYOR NICK GRADISAR IS A SLOVENIAN AMERICAN.MANY LOCAL DIGNITARIES, GUEST SPEAKERS, BUSIESSS MEETINGS, ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND DISPLAYSOF BRANCHES CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE PROVIDED FROM LOCAL PUEBLO BRANCH..