2022 Honorees
Community Leadership and Service Award
Zofia (Zosia) Bieniek
Leader in the Polish Scouting Organization and movement
Zosia was born in Sokolka, a small county of Bialystok, Poland. At the age of eighteen, she arrived in Greenpoint, New York. Growing up in a small community in Sokolka, Greenpoint turned out to be too fast and too noisy for her. She then decided to join her relatives in Hartford, Connecticut, where a larger than in Greenpoint Polish community was located. While back in Poland, she graduated from a hairdressing school; however, she later learned that her diploma was not valid in Connecticut. She was disappointed that she could not practice her profession in the United States. To earn a living, she worked in a local factory. When she saved enough money, Zosia quickly enrolled in the International Hairdressing School in Hartford and received her certificate and license to continue her professional life. She has three sons, Joseph, Mark and Matthew. An unthinkable tragedy struck her family in 1975, losing her son Joseph in a car accident. To celebrate his life, she with her husband decided to donate Joseph’s organs and, in doing so, Joseph has saved two other lives. To make life better for her family, Zosia enrolled in Hartford High School and attended the required classes at night. She earned her high school diploma in three years while working a full-time job as a clerk at the DMV during the day. She was recognized and promoted for her hard work at the DMV, where she continued working until her retirement.
When she arrived in Hartford, she joined the SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, where she made enormous contributions and impact. In her own words, “I have volunteered everywhere I could, from being a member of the Parish Council to working under the watchful eye of Millie Kuszaj preparing pierogi, serving them at the Parish picnics in East Hartford, and then packing and cleaning up the kitchen, when the picnics were over.” Zosia also volunteered to help at the Parish’s annual fundraising dinners and other events. Both of her sons graduated from SS. Cyril and Methodius School where she indeed spent much of her time volunteering in various areas such as cafeteria, library, Polish dinners, and fundraising for the school. It is no surprise that Zosia is a member of the Ladies Guild making pierogis and preparing food for the Holiday Food Fairs, Monte Carlo Whist, and during any other festivals where her help is needed. Additionally, Zosia is a member of the Polish Cultural Club and competes in the Annual Szopka Festival and Competition. If this is not enough of volunteering, Zosia also is a member of the Polish Alliance, Ladies Auxiliary, and volunteers at the Ellis Manor’s Shut-In Program where her mother is a resident.
When her son Matthew was about four years old, she signed him up with the Polish Scouting Organization (known as ZHP in the Polish Community). When asked if she would know anyone to volunteer in this organization to help with the meetings and program, she did not hesitate. Volunteerism became her second “professional” life. Her involvement has made an enormous impact on the organization, and she was promoted to the Troop Leader when Maria Brodowicz retired and entrusted Zosia to lead the Polish Scouting Organization. For years Zosia has been very proud of her Polish heritage and has been regularly meeting with her Scout Troop each week to work on many projects and preparations for upcoming events and activities as well as on passing on the tradition to the younger generations. Each September, Zosia brings the Polish Girl and Boy Scouts to the Parish’s Dozynki Festival. After 35 years of volunteering with the Polish Girl and Boy Scout organization she is proud of the people she met and had a pleasure to work with. They went on and became doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, and other professionals contributing in the local communities. Covid-19 has impacted the Scounts’ activities but did not stop Zosia from working with the members of the organization on Zoom. She was missing the in-person activities, but she is glad that the organization has started holding regular in-person meetings again.
In her private life, she enjoys reading books, singing, solving cross puzzles, cooking, gardening, and of course, helping others. She was also awarded the Polonia Distinguished Service Award by the United Polish Societies of Hartford (CENTRALA) in 2015.
