“Sometimes people thank us with tears in their eyes, saying that they were just trying to figure out what to cook from the little they had left.” - Valentina Scolnic, MWB Moldova
Many of the elderly who attend our Soup Kitchens are alone. During this pandemic, the support that allows our Soup Kitchens to continue is more vital than ever before.
92-year-old Antonia who has been housebound for 7 years cannot express what it means to be receiving food and comfort during these challenging times.
Antonia's house is older than she is, you can feel the chill of her poorly insulated house in the heat of Summer. Her son is desperate to help. his mother but struggles to even visit her. His disability means he can hardly walk let alone help.
Her son shares, “As our pension is miserable, it is barely enough to pay for basic food and medicine. I need to insulate this old house and to change the windows in it. I would love to make this place more comfortable for my mother, but there’s nothing I can do. I have no money.”
Sisters Nina, 92, and Olga, 87, live together. Their home is big, empty, old and uncomfortable, without enough firewood to warm it. Nina and Olga wear their winter coats indoors to keep warm. All of their close relatives have passed away, and others live too far away to visit.
The sisters were close as children – and now, they are each other’s, only family. The older sister, Nina, still looks out for her younger, smaller sister. Olga broke her leg a year ago and walking is still very difficult for her.
While Olga had worked as a veterinarian for more than 40 years, Nina worked for a trade corporation. Although neither says it out loud, it seems unjust that they should live in poverty after decades of working so hard at their jobs.
Both of them look forward to every visit of the Soup Kitchen. They do not cook, and the meal from the Soup Kitchen is all they eat: they keep some of it behind for breakfast the next day.
With the help of our supporters, MWB staff and volunteers will continue to visit the elderly in their homes, providing them with healthy meals, support and conversation – and enjoying their friendship in return.
Help MWB show the compassion and love of God through our Soup Kitchens, serving the most vulnerable in Eastern Europe.
Just $50 could provide a months worth of nourishing meals for someone in need.