[Today, I embark on telling a series of stories on what is going on in the world that I see. It’s not just to get you riled up, nor is it just a means for me to vent. These are stories of hope. I want to give you a chance to join me in making a difference. Here’s our first story…]
Early one morning, in a city in the former Soviet Union, a worker arrived to find two small girls asleep in the bakery she managed. During the night, the girls had broken in to the bakery to fill their empty stomachs and then fell asleep in a corner behind the counter: Sasha and Oxana* were six and three. The angry manager called the police, who took the girls to the police station. Social services were called in. Somehow, these officials were able to determine the girl’s names and find their mother, who was drunk. When she sobered up, she told the Social Services workers that she could not care for the children any longer. She did not know where the girl’s father was, perhaps he was in prison for drugs. They were homeless. She told them to keep the girls.
For over a decade, I’ve been visiting Eastern Europe, over and over again I see the plight of abandoned children due to substance abuse.** Last month, I heard the true story you just read. I met the girls in their new home.
Sasha and Oxana are real persons, they are now seven and four years old. Imagine a cute bubbly four year old, that’s Oxana. You see, the Social Services in this Eastern European city have discovered that the best care in the county is found in the Second Chance Homes. These homes are in the country, staffed by caring, well trained workers (I visited three of them. They provide a warm, clean environment where the children live in good conditions and are well fed. Not only are these children returned to classes in the local school, but they also learn responsibility through chores, and when old enough, they learn a trade. In one of the homes, on a farm, the older children learn how to care for animals and use farm equipment. As a Christian organization, the leaders in the homes not only help with homework, they live and teach Biblical principles to the kids. I have known the leader of the shelters for eight years. I am glad to be associated with them.
When I was there in November, I was able to provide some funding for the shelters. This Christmas season, would you consider helping Oxana and her sister and roommates? Please prayerfully consider making a donation to support the Second Chance Homes for Children, $25 can go a surprisingly long way. You can donate online or by sending a check to Christian Educators Outreach, be sure to make note that your donation is for “Second Chance”. For more information on just how to help us help the Second Chance Homes, click here.
*Details (including names) have been changed to provide some protection of privacy.
**A recent statistic showed that “in 2007 alcohol-related deaths constituted 40% and 22% of all deaths among adult men and women, respectively.” This does not consider the number of parents in prison resulting from offenses caused by their alcoholism.Institute for Demography and Social Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
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