The Polish Women’s Club meets the first Friday of the month, 8:00pm (except July
and August) at the Polish Cultural Center.
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Mailing address:
Koło Pań/Polish Women’s Club*
Polish Cultural Center
1714 18th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
Board 2016:
President - Irena Kulik
Vice-President - Barbara Augustyniak
Honorary Vice-President - Marta Golubiec
Sectretary – Mira Pawluskiewicz
Treasurer – Henryka Posluszny
Membership: open to members of the Polish Home Association (PHA) with symbolic
annual dues of $1.00.
Volunteer Opportunities
Bazaars:
• Weekly pierogi making sessions starting two months prior each bazaar
• Thursday and Friday before the Bazaar
• Saturday/Sunday of the Bazaar
Other opportunities: at supported events i.e., Pierogi Fest and Polish Festival
at the Seattle Center.
Bazaars
Polish Women’s club organizes two annual Polish bazaars – the Fall Bazaar is on
the first weekend in November, Saturday and Sunday, 12noon to 6pm, and the
Spring Bazaar is on the Saturday before Palm Sunday (one week before Easter)
also 12noon to 6pm. On the ground floor the visitors can order delicious Polish
meals, Polish brew, and homemade desserts. The upper hall provides a wide array
of Polish products, folk art and crafts. The visitors can also become acquainted
with the various organizations that are associated with the PHA, hear Polish
melodies, admire Polish traditional folk costumes, and perhaps reconnect with a
Polish tradition.
The history of these bazaars dates back to the early 1960s. Newly arrived
members of the Polish Community found the historic Dom Polski (Polish Home) in a
bleak financial situation with little to no funds and declining membership. Out
of the necessity to raise funds for the Polish Home (PH), the Koło Pań was
created. The first meeting was held in 1962 and by the autumn of 1964 the first
bazaar was organized which was an immediate success.
For the first few bazaars, held in autumn, everything was handmade and donated
by the members, e.g., Christmas ornaments, aprons, decorations, Polish cutouts –
wycinanki. In the bare-bones kitchen of the hall members prepared wonderful
traditional dishes. What wasn’t made at the PH was prepared in the kitchens of
the volunteers and in donated premises such as the Brenner Brothers Bakery in
Bellevue who provided the use of its facilities for baking breads and cakes
which were sold at the bazaar. From the bazaar profits much needed improvements
were made in the kitchen and finally most of the bazaar preparations were done
in-house.
As the bazaars in autumn became more and more popular, a Spring Bazaar was added
to the annual schedule. Both bazaars featured not only products of local artists
but also those from Poland like amber and regional folk crafts. From those days
in the ‘60s through today, the profit from the bazaars has been spent primarily
for financing improvements to the building. In addition Koło Pań allocates funds
for philanthropic causes – assisting not only local Polish organizations but
also local charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army, Emergency
Shelters for Women, Red Cross, etc.
Within the Polish community the Koło Pań has assisted many causes and
organizations: assisting the Polish school and scouts; awarding the best student
of Polish at University of Washington; contributing to the Polish Studies at the
University of Washington as well as helping a few orphanages in Poland. For 20
years it has supported the Seattle Polish Film Festival organized by Seattle
Gdynia Sister City Association. In the past the Koło Pań provided financial aid
as needed to families of imprisoned Solidarity activists and donated to the
Polish Museum in Rapperswil, Switzerland.
Besides the bazaars the Koło Pań has undertaken other activities. In 1983 the
first cook book “Cooking with a Polish Touch” was published. In 1991 by popular
demand the second expanded edition was published, followed by a third edition in
2005. It has subsidized many events throughout the years, i.e., Opłatek,
Święconka, Pierogi Fest and since 2012 the Polish Festival at the Seattle
Center. With the Koło Pań’s initial funding the Sybiracy Project, with the film
“A Trip to Nowhere”, became a reality. The project shed light on the tragic
history of those who survived the Gulag including several members of Koło Pań
and the Polish Community in the Seattle area.
*The name of “Ladies Auxiliary” was changed to “Polish Women’s Club” on February
5, 2016.
1st March 1, 2016.