Faces of The Fellowship: David

The Fellowship  |  May 25, 2017

Four-year-old David lost his father when he was only two years old. His mother Alevtina worried that David was suffering from extreme grief. She believed this grief was affecting his speech development, as the boy wasn’t learning to talk like other children his age.

A Fellowship worker reached out to David’s mother and introduced her to the Fellowship-supported Beitenu program, which serves vulnerable Jewish children across Ukraine. In David’s hometown of Kiev, the family center offers both material assistance and a warm introduction to community life, hosting Jewish celebrations and classes and programs for children with special needs.

David’s mother had already brought him to many doctors, hoping they would bring him relief, but it wasn’t until David attended the center that his mother finally felt hopeful. The speech therapist at the family center recommended that David join a preschool program with other children his age.

Shortly after he began attending classes, David finally began to talk.

“The support we received from The Fellowship can’t be overestimated,” says Alevtina. “When my husband passed away, The Fellowship immediately came to our assistance.”

In addition to emotional support, The Fellowship provides the family with food packages, clothing, and a bed for David.

Although David continues to mourn his father, The Fellowship and the Jewish community have welcomed him with open arms. Being part of their larger Jewish family has brought comfort to David and Alevtina and offers them hope for a brighter future.

Learn how you can help impoverished families in need, like David’s, receive the lifesaving care they desperately need.