Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today

The hardest part of our humanitarian mission is finding non-governmental organizations (NGO) to partner with.

After assessing humanitarian projects done in the past throughout Slovakia, we noticed 90% of projects were done in the Eastern parts of the country. One city in Slovakia we focused on, Trenčin had never had a LDS Charities project. 

We felt impressed to reach out to the young missionaries in that city. The Elders were familiar with the city homeless shelter; they had done service projects there. With the aid of the Branch President, who is a founding member of the church, help set a meeting with the homeless shelter. 

During the meeting with the director and city officials we asked what their greatest need was. The director stated last winter was a cold harsh winter, many people did not fit in the shelter. Many homeless have addiction or health problems and staying out in sub-zero temperatures is very dangerous. We were told they could really use an Army tent, floor mats, and sleeping bags for an overflow when the temperatures dip far below zero.

A police officer said he would drive around and locate homeless to drop off at the shelter to stay in overflow tent.  They are going to offer social services, including addition recovery counseling to those brought in.

The homeless shelter is an old run-down crowded building.

Bunk beds are squeezed into rooms with tight living quarters and a lack of kitchen and restrooms. Staff are especially concerned for those left out in the cold due to addictions, and some who suffer illness.

The plan was to provide an emergency tent shelter for homeless persons and provide them at least a warm place to sleep and get a bowl of soup. 

In addition to the tent, a wheelchair was requested for a few invalid homeless people at the shelter.

One invalid woman was thrilled to see a wheelchair available for her.

The missionaries providing service stated “After helping to set up the wheelchair, we got to see the moment when one of the people residing there, Viera, got to see it and sit in it…then they asked us if we could do some service for Viera in which we would help her go to the post office to pick up her mail. In the past it would take a total of 4 hours there and back. But, with the wheelchair the time was drastically dropped from 4 hours to just 30 minutes! It really seemed to brighten her day”.

Be the reason someone smiles today!