Ukraine, February 2020

The management team of a homeless shelter invited us to distribute cooked food, tea and sweets. It was decided to serve on Sundays because no one comes to feed the guests on that day.

Initially we baked muffins and served them along with the tea. We chose a muffin recipe that was both tasty and healthy.

At the shelter, the guests warmly greeted us with friendly smiles. The management team guided us in the food distribution process and facilitated getting to know each other. There were many elderly people among the homeless. We spent time getting to know them through light conversations. 

During one of our visits we brought handmade woolen socks. They were carefully tied together and sent by volunteers from different cities throughout Ukraine. The guests of the shelter were delighted with such warm socks to help guard against the lingering cold weather.

Another time our trip fell on the holiday of March 8 – International Women’s Day. We learned in advance that there were ten women among the guests of the shelter. Wanting to make them happy, we brought chocolates as a special gift.

We distributed food for three Sundays in a row before having to stop due to the pandemic. But, we still wanted to care for them. Thus, beginning in May we transitioned to bringing packed food that the homeless cooked themselves.