Maxim: A Helping Hand When it's Needed Most

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Maxim lives in Latvia with his wife, Tatyana, and their children, Dennis and Angelica. When Maxim lost his job this past spring due to the country's financial crisis, he struggled to provide for his family. Maxim was able to find a part-time job as a porter in the city market, and Tatyana, who used to work as a waitress and cleaning woman, now sells vegetables at the same market. Though they are grateful for these jobs, they still don't provide enough income for their basic needs.

The family lives in a tiny, run-down apartment in a dangerous neighborhood. Since more than 200 families share the three communal bathrooms in the building, every few days Maxim, Tatyana, Dennis, and Angelica go to the city's bathhouse to wash themselves and clean their clothing in the shower. They did not even have cooking facilities in their apartment.

Help came to this struggling family through The Fellowship's Isaiah 58 program, which supports poor Jews throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union. Isaiah provided them with small appliances that enabled Maxim to create a makeshift kitchen in their home. Today, Isaiah funds daily hot lunches at school for Dennis and Angelica and provides the entire family with counseling services and payment assistance for their heating bills during the harsh winter months.

In this and so many other ways Isaiah 58 helps ease the plight of poor Jewish families who otherwise would have nowhere to turn for help. Please give today to Isaiah 58 — and may God bless you for your generosity!