A Free Café for Ukraine’s Poor
Balkonskaya and her two children didn’t have anything to eat.
She barely had enough to keep a roof over their head. Bitter at life’s
circumstances and desperate to feed her family, the Ukrainian mother didn’t
want to live anymore.
Twenty-nine percent of Ukraine’s population lives below the poverty
line; many include elderly living on pensions of less than $50 a month and
single parents. Several years ago our outreach center in the capital city
of Kiev responded to the need by opening Nickolayev Café. Since then,
over 100 hungry Ukrainians come to this safe-haven and eat what is often
their only hot meal of the day.
Volunteers at the soup kitchen served 2,195 nutritious multi-course meals
this past April. Three of those grateful recipients were Balkonskaya and
her children. “I would like to thank the people who help us,”
she shared. “When I leave the soup kitchen, I feel much better. I
have the desire to live and …to forgive and to love my neighbor. I
would also like to thank you for the food. It’s so wonderful that
there are people who don’t let us become desperate. Praise the Lord!”
Many elderly men and women don’t have any family or friends to
care for them. Every month they are faced with the life-altering decision
of whether to buy a simple loaf of bread or medicine. Rosinskaya was so
hungry. She was hopeful when someone invited her to join them at Nickolayev
Café. After the woman’s first experience, she excitedly mentioned,
“They fed me, gave me the clothes and shoes to wear. I am thankful
to the Lord for His mercy. For me it was such a surprise to receive the
gifts! May God bless you!”
It’s an unforgettable experience when you see the joyful smiles
of precious senior citizens eating a basic bowl of soup, or hear the satisfied
sighs of a truly hungry child while gobbling up whatever is on the table.
You might never have the opportunity to see it, but there are so many
hungry people in this world. When is the last time you spent just $100
on a month’s worth of groceries and dining out? You have the opportunity
to help! Your gift of $100 can provide 10 poor Europeans like these two
women with hot meals in our soup kitchens for one month.
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