Hope… Isn’t it what revives us? Especially during cold and long winter evenings, it gives us strength to keep going. When parents come to visit their children, we invite them to play together in the snow—a time when they share many warm and happy moments.
The celebration begins with the first sounds of bells as decorations are hung, handmade paper garlands appear, and songs and skits for the holiday are rehearsed. The entire “Children’s Ark” prepares for this important event. Staff create programs, prepare decorations, costumes, and crafts. We also invite parents to help, as it strengthens their bond with their children and teaches them how to create joy together.
As Christmas approaches, we seek opportunities and reach out to various organizations and individuals to collect gifts for the children. It is heartwarming to see how many respond and are willing to contribute and participate! This is vital support for us and an essential part of the holiday for the children.
On Christmas Eve, the shelter’s doors open wide, and parents enter the hall. It’s celebration time, and hugs and laughter fill the air. Together, we sing Christmas carols, share memories, and talk about the most important thing—Jesus was born and came into this world to be with us and to bring salvation.
On this evening, every child feels the warmth of family comfort and the solace that comes to the heart through hope. Parents experience a unique closeness and warmth with their children. During the celebration, they realize that their presence and involvement in their children’s lives are what matter most.
Misha, Nastya, and Petya lived together in a large family and loved each other very much. Unfortunately, their parents suffered from alcohol addiction and were unable to give the children the attention and care they needed. The large family of six lived in a small room, which eventually led these three wonderful children to come to us at the “Children’s Ark.” This place played an important role in their lives because it is a place that helps children and families in difficult situations. Here, remarkable people work tirelessly to relieve the pain and sadness from children’s hearts and help them reintegrate into family life.
Despite all the care and effort, the children still dreamed of returning to their parents. We realized that to help the children, we needed to help their parents as well. So, we began working with the parents to help them change their lives. Before the children could return home, it was crucial to engage the parents in the process. In the case of these children, the parents needed to overcome their alcohol addiction, find employment, and take steps to improve their living conditions. They went through rehabilitation, received a new apartment, and importantly, found jobs. Finally, the day came when the children could return home. Their faces were so full of joy! We hope that we were able to instill in the hearts of the children and their parents a faith in the living God and give them hope!
When we brought Ksyusha, she was 4 years old. Her parents refused to believe that they had problems. Blaming and scolding everyone, they couldn’t understand why their child was taken away. In the end, they finally realized their problem and agreed to undergo rehabilitation.
They admitted that it took them almost a year to attend the ‘Children’s Ark’ to realize the need for help. In addition, the grandfather and grandmother began to visit the girl after they learned about the problems in the family. They began to support her and her parents. After completing rehabilitation, Ksyusha was finally taken home, and now they are a happy family!
This story became a motivation for other parents to accept help and follow the advice of our specialists. Dad with Ksyusha often come to us, now as guests and for holidays. And we have a lot of them! Svetlana is the head of the music studio. And she has a great ability to help build relationships between parents and children through creativity. By giving roles, small poems, learning songs together with the family, we see how the parents unfold. In this image, it is easier for them to say something, so they can express themselves, express their thoughts. Most often, parents look closed, but on holidays they open up and can communicate better.
One mother approached me after one of the holidays and said: ‘Thank you very much, we really enjoyed it. We never imagined that we could have so much fun with the children.’ It’s one thing when you have fun in an alcoholic state, but here they have the opportunity to see another life. Thank you all for being with us!
We never know how long our children will live. Therefore, we do not waste time in vain: we engage in activities, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. It seems that just recently the first bell rang in schools, we were assembling backpacks with the children, wearing lush bows. And now it’s already November, and that means it’s time to prepare for Christmas. And although it’s gray and rainy outside, as the saying goes: ‘Prepare the sledge in the summer.’ Christmas is a holiday of love and mercy. Therefore, we do not remain indifferent, and with great pleasure we open a collection for Christmas gifts. We invite you to this wonderful atmosphere of preparation for the wonderful and bright holiday of Christmas. Gifts will be collected not only for children from the orphanage in the city of Saint Petersburg but also for children from other regions of Russia. Everything in the world starts with something small, everything is born small, and then grows: a small sprout becomes a big tree, a stream flows into a river, words grow into sentences and big novels, great melodies are composed from a few notes. Dear ones, let’s all together gather Christmas gifts for our children!
Children who come to foster families often carry a heavy baggage of distrust, pain, and disappointment. And when you see happiness on the face of an adopted child, you rejoice twice. Parents of such children need a lot of love, strength, and wisdom. That’s why supporting foster families is so important! When parents have support, it’s easier for them to love. When parents can get answers to their questions, parenting becomes wiser and more balanced. When parents have time to rest and socialize with other parents in the same situation, it’s a time to recharge.
That’s why one of the directions of the Children’s Ark is to support foster families. We hold regular Saturday meetings for parents and children so that everyone can spend this time productively, joyfully, and soulfully. Every Saturday, we meet with teenagers from foster families and run a club. This summer, there was a wonderful opportunity to interact with the kids on hikes. During this warm season, we equipped the boiler room, reconstructed the water supply system, repaired the summer shower, and renovated some rooms in the house. In September, we completed the cleanup and garden rearrangement.
We would be delighted if you become a part of the Children’s Ark ministry!
Last year, Lena came to us. At that time, she was seven years old. Unfortunately, Lena’s mother did not arrange for her to go to school. We never know how long we will have the children with us. This year, we were among the first in line to submit an application for enrollment in the first grade. We have even passed the medical examination with the future first graders.
And then we encountered a surprise in the form of a refusal, as it was also necessary to pass a psychological-medico-pedagogical commission. In short, our eyes twitched, and our brows turned gray, but we passed the commission. And the child was enrolled in school. When a child enters the first grade, the requirements for their speech, behavior, and way of life change dramatically. It’s an exciting moment for every parent and future first-grader.
Lena is eagerly awaiting the day when she will go to school. So we don’t waste any time: we study, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. And from September, our socio-developmental center will open its doors again, and the children will attend additional developmental activities.
Everything in the world starts small, everything is born small, and then it grows: a small seedling becomes a big tree, a stream joins a river, words turn into sentences and great novels, a few notes compose great melodies.
We thank you for your heart and prayers, for your cooperation and assistance in serving the social orphans! May God bless you abundantly!
