Faces of The Fellowship: Valentin

The Fellowship  |  February 7, 2018

This year, Valentin, 81, received a wonderful surprise when Yael Eckstein visited his home to deliver a warm comforter to keep him from freezing this winter! He couldn’t stop saying, “Thank you for coming!”

When Yael spoke with Valentin, she learned that he is an immigrant from Ukraine, with no family or friends to visit him. As a child, Valentin, his sister, and mother had to flee Ukraine to the Ural Mountains during the Holocaust. Valentin remembers being hungry and cold throughout this entire period of time. Today, he lives alone in a public housing living facility.

Specifically in northern Israel, temperatures fall below freezing at night. Yet thousands of elderly like Valentin, who are mostly new immigrants, struggle to afford heat.

Many immigrants like Valentin don’t have a retirement fund, so they must rely on a small government stipend to survive, but it isn’t enough. Often they must choose between buying warm clothing or buying groceries. Thankfully, Valentin doesn’t have to choose this year – he can have both.

Valentin is just one of the 7,330 elderly throughout Israel who received blankets this winter on behalf of Christians and Jews abroad who love the people of Israel. These elderly are also beneficiaries of our With Dignity and Fellowship program, through which they receive ongoing deliveries of food packages or prepared meals. Our Winter Warmth program ensures the elderly don’t freeze.

Valentin feels so blessed: “Today, in my final years, it’s Christians though The Fellowship who are caring for me. Thank you!”

Learn how you can help more elderly like Valentin today.