October is Polish American Heritage Month! How do you plan to celebrate? This might be a great time to learn a Polish song, attend a Polish dance performance, or try a new Polish recipe. It’s also a great time to share family stories of your Polish ancestors with your children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren.

Would you like to learn more about your Polish ancestors’ stories, or fill in some gaps in your family tree? PGSNYS can help! Our databases are a unique source for indexed historical records for your Western New York Polish ancestors. These records are not available on Ancestry.com, and they may contain the information you need to take your research back into the Old Country! Plan to join us at one of our monthly meetings, check out our library of meeting recordings, or browse through some back issues of our newsletter, Searchers, to help you hone your genealogy research skills.

Just starting out, and not sure how to begin? We’ve got you covered! Members can receive free, personal assistance from one of our experienced researchers, in person, by phone, or by Zoom! Fill out the form on our members-only page, and we’ll set you up for success!

We also offer assistance through our private Facebook group! Facebook is a great resource for genealogy because it allows you to post photos or scans of documents related to your research. Group members provide translations, analysis, and suggestions for further research in a fun, supportive, and collaborative online community! Best of all, our Facebook group is available to anyone with an interest in Polish genealogy in New York State—you don’t have to be a member to join!

But once you get started researching your Polish ancestry, you might just get hooked. Come join us as we discover our heritage together!