Charity news

How to love your neighbor

 

          November 20, 2013

 

  We all strive for happiness in this world. But everyone has different ideas of what happiness is. We can try to bring happiness to lives of our loved ones, even though it does not always work. If we'll take a broad view on things, we'll see that the world in which we live is our home, and people in this world are part of one big family. In fact, we can be happy only when we make others happy.
   

In our "Food for Life" foundation we receive following letters almost every day:

From Valki city (Kharkiv region)

(only orthography was edited)

"Hello! May peace be upon you!
I am a widow, mother of 8 children. The youngest is seriously ill. Bogdan is 6 years old and he has epilepsy.
Bogdan is undergoing a medical treatment now. Examinations and medicines are at our own expenses. Benefits package offers only cheaper alternatives of original drugs. Once I nearly lost my son when he took a substitute medicines. So now I only permit to give him original anticonvulsant drugs. And it costs money. That is why I ask you for help!
This year some of my seven kids will go to school, some — to lyceum. It is almost impossible to deal with all costs by myself. That is why I ask you to help by providing clothes and actually everything needed for school."

From Ladyzhin city in Vinnitsa region

(only orthography was edited)

"Hello, President of Food for Life Foundation. Mother of 5 children writes to you. Kids are 10 , 7 and 5 years old, in 1.5 months we are waiting for the appearance of another baby. We suffer from disaster, my kids. I'm on pregnancy leave and we receive no money. My husband works for a minimum wage. My sons just try to survive with us. Prices are crazy. I can't buy a pack of juice because I have to buy 3 of them. I ask for your help. Please help us somehow. Maybe you have humanitarian aid, some stationery, food, juices, fruits — anything. I'm not ashamed to say that we are half-starving. We don't have grandmothers or grandfathers. We buy everything on a market or in a store, my boys will be very happy to receive any help. God bless you. I truly want to believe that someone will want to help. I even wrote to the president but in vain. Thanks anyway."

From Mukachevo city (Transcarpathia oblast)

(only orthography was edited)

"I have 3 children. The youngest is ill and receives a disability pension. Earlier we lived in a place so bad, that I would not wish such situation to anyone. But God helped us and we moved to another place. It was very difficult of course. 7 of us live in one room. It's very difficult. We'd like to receive benefits package, but no chance. I'm very disappointed, please help us if you can. Respectfully, Anna. Please don't forget about me."

From Skulin city in Volyn oblast
"Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! I am writing to you because I can't stand it much longer, with faith and hope for your help.
We have five children and we are in a very difficult situation. We have been saving for a house during a long time. Bought only necessary things, became very poor, now we don't have clothes and shoes to put on, we are starving.
We bought an old house with a small housing area of 20.8 square meters. We live there now. There are no doors in the house. A front door won't close so we cover it with a blanket. Winter is coming, we don't have firewood and have no money to buy it, we are going to freeze. We almost have no furniture, pots and pans are on the floor. Seven of us sleep in the same bed. Pipes are not plastered. We borrowed a drywall, screwed it, but have no money to plaster it. We have no wallpapers. A terrible draught is coming from windows.
I pray! Please! You are our last hope. Please help us if you can.
My children and I pray to God every day. My eldest daughter Vika, who is eight years old, writes letters to God. One of her letters I want to put in an envelope for you to read.
You can find our photos on the internet in odnoklassniki.ru: Shutkevich Svetlana, Kovel district, Volyn region, Skulin village, 4 Zelenaya Str, 45043
My cell phone is 096 180-18-20"

Letter from Vika to God:
1. Dear Lord, please protect us from evil
2. Help us to buy a house or to renovate the one we have now
3. Give us what to eat
4. Help us!
We love you.

 There are a lot of letters. To people who once wrote to us, we send parcels monthly.

This is how our help looks like:

Gratitude letters from people who receive help:
(only orthography was edited)

From Kirovsk (Lugansk region) from the mother of 5 children

"Hello. I want to express gratitude from me and the kids! For juices, clothes, various pastries and sweets. Let God bless you a hundredfold. Children are very happy! Thank you very much for everything. May God protect you!"

from Mukachevo city (Transcarpathia oblast) from the mother of 3 children

"Hello Nikolaj. Thank you a lot for your package. Anna"

from Valki city (Kharkiv region) from the mother of 8 children

"May peace be upon you!
Dear Nikolaj, I sincerely thank you for the parcel! I am very impressed by your attention to us sinners! Please accept our sincere obeisances!
It was so nice to receive it all from you!
Thank you very much from me and all the children!
May the Lord reward you for all your great mercy!
With sincere respect to you, Yanina and children."

"Hello Nikolaj!
I have received the parcel, thank you very much!
Kids loved juice and sweets were very tasty. A big thank you to you from my children and me!
May the Lord reward you for your mercy!
May God protect you!
Sincerely, Yanina"

from Snigirevka city (Mykolayiv region) from the mother of 3 children

"Many thanks for vitamins for children. Children were very happy."

from Perechyn city (Transcarpathian region) from the mother of 4 children

"We have received the parcel with juices. Thank you so much. Kids are happy and I am pleased that there are still good people in this world."

"We have received the parcel, thank you. Children are always very happy and ask who sends packages to them. I answer that very good people do."