Hope for a New Life

During the past months, we have been praying to find an organization that would involve the three S's, which are self-reliance, service, and sustainability.

Our leaders have emphasized these traits as the best for LDS Charity humanitarian projects. Providing LDS Charity funds is best when used to help individuals to help themselves. I felt impressed to locate an organization outside of Košice, so one day in July, we drove down a long dirt road to a homeless shelter. Once we arrived, we could not find anyone who spoke English and the director was not there so we left a business card. We tried calling the organization without success.

Several weeks later, we had received a call from the director, and through a interpreter he requested a meeting with us. We were able to meet with the director and his assistant at this location with the motto, "Hope for a New Life."

During our meeting. we were so impressed with his hope in every person's life to become their best, to find their purpose in life. During a tour of the facility, he told us he believes everyone needs a responsibility, and he tries to provide a variety of work opportunities to have every homeless person doing something.
The shelter currently has about 250 occupants, but during the winter it increases up to 350+ persons. 

The shelter is a two-story building with several room, each having 4-5 beds per room. There are shared bathroom facilities on each floor. We observed a kitchen, dining room, and laundry facilities with a lot of construction going on.

A partial third floor was being added and will have an additional eight rooms for more residents. We observed the additions was "roughed" with plumbing, electricity, and windows.

There were no doors, bathroom fixtures, flooring, or painted walls or stairways. It was currently under construction. Some of the homeless were involved in the construction.

An old large airplane hangar was located on a side lot. Inside the open bays were about 100 mismatched bed including a few sofas sitting on concrete. This is where the homeless people who do not want to work will sleep and stay.

A wood burning stove would require someone to chop wood to keep warm all winter long. One man was bedridden with damaged feet due to frostbite last winter when he was homeless out in the freezing cold. He was in severe pain.
Another section of land had several container made into houses.

Each metal box was the size of a semi-truck box that had been painted. A door and window were cut into the sides, and inside was carpeted with walls and kitchen. We walked inside one where a Roma mother and two kids were living grateful to have a place to stay. A hose connected from a water well faucet provided water until freezing temperatures arrive.
On site, we observed several buildings containing farm animals including cows, goats, sheep, mules, and chickens. These were small operations but still required a lot of work.

For example, the chicken coup had at least 25 chickens which lay eggs and need to be feed, water, and cared for. A small herd of a dozen dairy cows also required a lot of work every day to feed, water, and milk them.

The herds of goats and sheep also require manpower to keep them fed, water, and cared for. We even saw a kennel of several stray dogs and a couple of homeless men will need to care for the dogs.

In a rear lot we observed a couple homeless men chopping logs into firewood. This was being done with axes and required a lot of work but we saw long stacks of already chopped firewood. This wood can be used by the shelter to fuel the wood burning stoves throughout the facility.

There were a dozen old dilapidated greenhouses where crops are grown. We saw several women in the gardens tending to the plants and keeping them watered. They produce many vegetables for the shelter to use as well as sell in nearby outdoor markets. 

We feel strongly that the director of this facility helps people help themselves. He has a reputation to give "hope for a new life." We are looking into helping him with some of the new construction material costs.