Moscow, September 19, 2017
Photo: RIA-Novosti Nearly 3 million rubles ($51,000) have been raised for the “Mercy” charity foundation to help the needy after the head of the Orthodox service Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevo requested that regular donations be made to the foundation in lieu of birthday gifts to him, reports RIA-Novosti.
“Dear friends… This year I have decided to do something I did only in childhood—to order a gift for myself… support ‘Mercy’ with a small offering. Let it be very small—50 or 100 rubles, but regular, for example, every month. If people can make an offering of 50 rubles every month, our project will be saved, and our wards will be sure of their futures,” the bishop wrote on his Facebook page.
Photo: RIA-Novosti The “Mercy” charitable fund announced a financial crisis in June of this year, the foundation’s site reports. The foundation managed to close the deficit in its 2017 budget through the help of simple people, and the media, but the organization is 12 million rubles ($206,000) short in its monthly budget for next year to continue helping the same volume of those in need.
The entire 3 million rubles were collected in three days: Nearly 300,000 rubles ($5,165) were collected from viewers of the Orthodox TV channel “Spas” within the framework of the “Live” charity program, which was entirely devoted to the work of the “Mercy” service.
Photo: RIA-Novosti “Mercy” is one of the five largest charitable organizations in Russia today, helping approximately 30,000 one-time visitors a year, and about 2,000 shut-ins receiving constant care. The Orthodox service, which brings together 27 social projects, also assists tens of thousands of needy, seriously ill child and adults, orphans, the disabled, the homeless, and those inflicted with HIV. More than 80% of the work relies on donations.
