Dubna, Moscow Province, Russia, October 19, 2021
The Russian Orthodox Church has launched another Mercy Bus to help the needy, this time in the city of Dubna in the Moscow Province.
The project was developed together with Dubna’s Orthodox Charity Movement, the city’s social service precinct, and the Dubna Juvenile Affairs Commission. The bus’ first trip delivered food packages, school supplies, clothes, and other necessities to a number of needy families, reports the Russian Church’s Synodal Department for Charity and Social Service.
Fr. Arkady Terekin, head of social service and charity for the local deanery, explains that they were inspired by the Church’s Mercy Buses that help the homeless. Though there are few homeless in Dubna, there are still many in need.
“For the last four years, at Nativity and Pascha, together with the city’s social services, we’ve delivering targeted assistance to them, but we wanted to make our support permanent,” Fr. Arkady said.
The food and clothing offered are specifically tailored to the needs of each family.
The Mercy Bus project was launched in Moscow in 2004. Every night from November to May, volunteers toured all the capital train and bus stations to assist the homeless, offering food, warm clothes, medicines, and a place to shower. More than 35,000 homeless people were saved from freezing during its 9 years of operation.
Buses now operate throughout Russia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan.
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