 She helped found the Gorzów Wielkopolski branch of the Catholic Intellectuals Club as well as the regional branch of Solidarity.Her activism during Poland's struggle for democracy was widely recognized at both the local and national level and she was honored with numerous medals and awards.Teresa Maria Tomaszewska-Bończa was born on 11 October 1929 in Hrubieszów, Poland to the noble families of Stanisław Bończa-Tomaszewski and Marii Skrzetuskiej.