Kind Heart Shelter - History
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Imagine a fairly large industrial Russian town in the middle of winter. The temperature easily drops to -30?C and people put on layers upon layers of clothing and have to force themselves to leave their apartments to go to work. The only salvation for us then is a thought of a cup of steaming hot tea that is a must for every Russian about 10 times a day. It was in such weather that a group of visitors from Switzerland saw a bunch of poorly dressed children, with cigarettes, around a bonfire in the suburbs of the town, desperately trying to get warm. The Swiss guests asked their guide and translator about the children, but the lady just lowered her eyes and asked the bus driver to go on without stopping. But the picture stuck in the minds of the visitors. One of them decided to look into the situation to see what can be done.
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It happened ten years ago. A lot has been done. Foreign guests were so moved by the despair in these children?s eyes that they decided to start a rehabilitation center (also known as a shelter) for them. They found two Russian ladies willing to help out, gave them some money and asked them to cook a ton of soup, buy some sausage and bread and prepare thermoses of steaming hot tea. The ladies put layers upon layers of clothes and ventured out to the places where they knew the children could be found. Kids smoked and ate, ate and smoked, drank tea and ran away. When the ladies came back a few days later, the kids were there waiting. Many brought their siblings and friends to have a free meal. The ladies found out that most of the kids have parents (either one or both) but the care-givers are wasting their lives on vodka and most of the time do not even notice the absence of their offspring. These children do not qualify for the orphanage yet ? it would be a blessing if they did.
So, about a dozen of them received a bowl of soup and some tea with a Russian-style sandwich in the dark and cold streets of Nizhny Tagil for the first time. The kids did not know what to think about these two ladies but after all what did they care at the moment? For many it was the first decent meal in days.
This is how it all started. Three years later the mission from Switzerland bought a tiny one-bedroom apartment for the rehab center. By and by, the ladies equipped the kitchen, bought a washing machine, started canning vegetables in summer to feed a hungry bunch of children in winter. It took more than months of time to establish trust between the shelter-workers and the visitors. These children are very suspicious and always look for hidden motives in adults. But the kids were won over by love and care. What, if not love, would cause the ladies to bring those stinky creatures, covered with lice, and scrub them from head to toe and offer them attention and medicine, help them with homework and do the impossible trying to work with the parents to see if maybe the latter care a little bit?
Kids come in at a certain time two or three times a week for a hot meal. At any other time they can stop by for tea with bread or biscuits. They can come in to have a bath, have their clothes washed and mended. If they have nowhere to go, they can spend a night (though it is not officially allowed by the local authorities ? the shelter would have to qualify for a different status to be a boarding place).
The kids that were first picked up in the streets years ago now come back as visitors and grateful ?graduates?. Rehab center helped many to get back on track ? a little bit of love (and a cup of steaming tea!) can do wonders!
For the reasons unknown to us, the Swiss founders have not been able to support the shelter on a regular basis. And the same two ladies have had to go around their neighbors and friends begging for money for yet another meal? Fortunately, we found out about this shelter in early June, just in time before it closed for the lack of funds.
A great chunk of the generous grant of $3,000 given to us by Desana in May has been used for the shelter. We have helped them stay open. All these months the children were never sent home hungry. Moreover, our American friends have collected shoes, socks and underwear for the children. You can see the happy recipients of the shoes in one of the pictures.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my wonderful friends (whom I hope to meet in person one day!) George and Kathy Houk, without whose help the shelter would be closed by now. I am also every grateful to all the new donors that have made it possible for us to continue feeding, clothing and loving these children. Without you we would have to stop the wonderful Russian tradition of a cup of steaming tea for children? May your generosity come back to you many fold.
Sincerely,
Elena Antropyanskaya Hibbler
Desana sends $500 per month to fund this shelter. Will you help?