On Friday, March 3, at 5 p.m., Ilona Kwiecien of Jaffrey will be the next Stories to Share speaker at Jaffrey Civic Center, 40 Main St.
The series, which takes place on the first Friday of each month, October through May, showcases the experiences of people from the Monadnock region. Kwiecien is an artist, interfaith minister, and humanitarian who moved to Jaffrey more than 20 years ago following a 26-year career in the Army. She was born in Bremen, Germany, and emigrated to the United States as a child with her parents, who were Polish refugees after World War II.
She grew up in South Boston, then Melrose, graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1972 and joined the Army. She served in Germany, Russia and Ukraine, and at the Pentagon. She then earned a master’s degree from Hartford Seminary and was later ordained as an interfaith minister.
In March 2022, a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, she went to Poland to assist refugees, and she has returned twice, working with Polish initiatives supporting Ukrainian refugees. She plans to return to Poland in April.
Kwiecien will discuss her family’s experiences as refugees, her time in the Army, her experiences in the clergy and what she has seen and learned in during her three trips to Poland. The title of her presentation is “Full Circle.”
“Stories to Share” founder Joseph Steinfield will serve as moderator for the talk. The program is free, but to help support this event and others like it, donations are appreciated. The program will be available as an in-person event at the Jaffrey Civic Center as well as via YouTube live.
In the event of inclement weather, a postponement decision will be made 24 hours in advance event and posted on the website and on social media.
To register for in-person attendance, go to eventbrite.com/e/427952827427. To participate virtually, the evening of the event, go to youtube.com/channel/UCvvRObxjqvVsgZ8iOP1UOEw/live.