Hand in hand

Hand in hand with his beloved grandfather Boris, 7-year-old Ilya once skipped through the melting snow on the way to synagogue in Ukraine.

Because his mother suffers from schizophrenia, most of Ilya’s time is spent with his grandparents, Boris and Raisa. They read the boy Bible stories, take him to celebrations for the various Jewish holidays, and give him the love and support his mother is unable to.

But sadly, Boris contracted COVID-19 this past March, which led to a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body and left him bedridden. The family barely survived on Boris’ tiny pension anyway, but now life is that much harder. Raisa is now Boris’ full-time caregiver, knitting socks to sell in the market whenever she has a chance. But food is hard to come by, as is time for little Ilya.

After hearing of the family’s situation, The Fellowship stepped in with love and support, helping Raisa with food and clothing for her grandson. When volunteers first arrived, they asked Ilya what they could give him. “More food,” the boy said.

“Without The Fellowship, we wouldn’t manage at all,” Raisa says. But thanks to Fellowship friends walking hand in hand with his family, medical care, dental care, and speech therapy are also being provided to Ilya for the first time in his life, meaning this precious child of God won’t just manage, but will have a chance to thrive.

With The Fellowship, you can be a helping hand for needy Jewish children like Ilya.

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