“I Know I Am Not Alone”
Imagine trying to survive on only $48 a month – around $1.50 a day. It sounds impossible…
Imagine trying to survive on only $48 a month – around $1.50 a day. It sounds impossible. Yet each month that is exactly what Yuriy, an elderly resident of Kiev, must do. After spending his whole adult life working on construction sites, Yuriy unfortunately has little to show for it. His pension is unbelievably small, and because much of his working life overlapped with Soviet times, he never had savings or any type of personal retirement plan.
Yuriy’s friends are aware of his dire financial situation, but they can do little to help him. “One of my friends approached me recently and offered to hire me for some construction work,” says Yuriy with a sad smile. “Was he laughing at me? I can’t work anymore, I’m too weak.”
Instead, he cuts corners, trying to stretch his pension as far as he can. His daily diet consists of a piece of bread, or, if he’s lucky, a sandwich for breakfast and soup for lunch. “Soup is very important for my health,” Yuriy explains. “As for dinner … I eat as luck provides.”
Thankfully, The Fellowship was there to give Yuriy a bank card with a monthly allowance, which Yuriy uses to buy both food and medicine. We also provide Yuriy with winter relief to help him survive the cold winter months and special food packages to help him celebrate the Jewish holidays. This past year, as utility prices across Ukraine reached record highs, The Fellowship covered the cost of Yuriy’s utility payments, which he must pay the building each year. All of this is made possible through the blessed gifts that come in through our Isaiah 58 ministry.
“Thank you,” says Yuriy. “I am so grateful for your support, both moral and financial. With The Fellowship, I know I am not alone.”
Please help more struggling elderly like Yuriy with supporting The Fellowship’s Isaiah 58 ministry today.
