Update Meals on Wheels Ukraine – July 2020
When we started our emergency campaign ‘Meals on Wheels’ in the middle of March, we thought it would be something temporary, but time after time the measures to combat the coronavirus in Ukraine were extended. Initially they were extended until 22 June, then until the end of July and recently the measures were extended until the end of August.
Therefore, we will continue this campaign, which was received with immense gratitude by Jewish elderly and Holocaust survivors. They see that we are not abandoning them after giving four months of support during these trying times.
The messages from local rabbis and Jewish leaders with whom we are partnering are heartwarming. Every time we hear from the Jewish elderly who are worried about the situation. When we visit them with our meals, this is an answer to their prayer.
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.Provers 19:17
They remind us every time how we had just renovated the soup kitchens just in time before the Coronavirus started, while at the beginning of the year we could not have imagined what would happen. Never did we expect that we would be so busy with our food campaign during the summer months.
Michael Brodman works at Tikva in Odessa. This Jewish orphanage and education center also has a program for the care of Jewish elderly. He told me that students from his school are helping to prepare and deliver about 300 meals.
We deliver the meals on wheels in these places in the Ukraine. You can see that they are spread over the whole country! In the lower-left corner you can see the size of Israel compared to Ukraine.
The rabbis from Zaparozhe, Poltava, Chernovtsy and many other places are also thankful that we continue this emergency campaign throughout Ukraine in cooperation with local Jewish communities. A few new towns were added, at first it seemed that the Jewish poor elderly could manage the situation, however when quarantine measures were extended time and again, they also needed our support. So we visited these communities and gave them advice and support and started ‘Meals on Wheels’ in those new areas as well.
Raya grew up as an only child. Her parents struggled with health problems and because of the care she had for her sick parents, she was not able to work a lot. The pension she lives on is only 52 euros. That is why Raya comes to pick up her meals every two days. She always comes forty minutes early, because she is afraid that we may run out of meals. She always talks with us before we leave on our distribution round.
Raissa (see photo at the top of this article) who is 91 year old and very weak gets her meals delivered at home. She desperately needs our help.
For Raya, Raissa and thousands of others these meals are prepared with care and brought with love and a smile. It is of vital importance to them. Will you help them with one or more Meals on Wheels?
In the photo gallery below you can see how we prepare and hand out the Meals on Wheels. Click on the photos to enlarge.
