2009 Winter Heating Appeal September 2009
In previous Winters for several years now, Carelinks initiated a major project to try to meet the significant problem of suffering as a result of the low temperatures in Eastern Europe and the former USSR. We provided funds to pay for heating bills, improved houses against the cold, installed internal toilets, delivered firewood, warm clothing, medical and other assistance to around 50 of the most needy brothers and sisters. As reported in our updates, we believe this significantly alleviated the suffering of several families, single mothers and especially elderly brothers and sisters. Given rising fuel prices the average cost of heating an apartment is almost the entire old age pension for sisters. Those with no supporting relatives, living alone, are left with literally nothing to survive on over the Winter months. We'd like to continue our project this Winter too. Please consider donating whatever you can afford to enable us to do this. Following are a few typical examples of those we have helped in previous years and would like to continue assisting. We'll provide feedback on how your funds are spent through our newsletters, and we can also email you specific details and photos of those assisted by you. We’re seeking to provide a total of 8000 GBP [16,000 AU$, 13,000 US$] to those in need. We have no overheads and no salaried workers, so your funds go direct to those in need.
Sister Tanya 
Sister Tanya [in the photo, wrapped in blanket] is a very faithful sister who has led others to the way of life. She suffers with her health and has a very small pension; the heating bills in Winter are about the same as her pension, which leaves her in a really difficult position so far as food, clothing and medicines are concerned. She tries to make her own medicines as she can't afford to buy them in Winter, like grinding up eggshells to make calcium. We would like to make some contribution to her Winter heating this year.
Sister Zina Sister Zina lives in a small town, alone in her 80s. She is very shaky on her feet but has to walk 1 km. each way to the shop and even further to get her pension. She needs help with paying for heating over the Winter.
Sister Dzidra
Invalid sister Dzidra lives alone most of the time and is cared for by another sister, who you can see breaking bread with her in the photo. Her pension simply isn't enough to cover the cost of Winter heating.
Sister Evgeniya
Elderly sister Evgeniya lives alone with her goats (which she has indoors with her over the Winter). She collects water in buckets which she places at the edge of her tin roof [see photo]. But temperatures got so low and firewood so expensive in previous years that she didn't have enough heat in the house to melt the snow on the roof. She needs help with firewood and Winter repairs to her home.
Sister Galina
Sister Galina is a very faithful sister whose husband has died and so she is left alone to meet the Winter heating bills. Her heating bills are about the same as her monthly pension, leaving her with nothing to live off at all. We need to help her with the bills over Winter. [Photo: Galina with her late husband Br Leonid soon after their baptism some years ago.]
Sister Ludmila
Sister Ludmila is great in spirit but physically very small, she has never been married, and is now elderly and living alone in a small house on the edge of a village, quite far from even the next house. She is sometimes attacked by local Moslem neighbours who broke her windows and stole the bucket and chain on her well.
Sister Nina 
We reported earlier on Sister Nina's tragic loss of her farm buildings which were burnt to the ground, including the loss of all her animals. Since then we've helped her rebuild a little. However, she needs support this Winter with buying firewood and some meat as she only has potatoes and some preserved vegetables to eat over the Winter. She’s really very grateful for the help we've provided.
Sister Rita
Sister Rita [left in photo] works hard washing linen for a hotel but it’s difficult for her to meet Winter heating bills in her apartment. In her case we contribute towards her heating bills rather than paying them completely. She also struggles to buy medicines.
Brother Kostya & Sister Tanya
Kostya has lost his job and has little support from his family; he has to provide for his wife and baby- somehow. Note in the picture: the baby so heavily wrapped up against the cold inside the home; the firewood; the damp in the walls; the burner with patched up holes, which exude smoke all night [the family sleep on the divan next to it]. Quite how some babies survive... is a miracle.
Sister Genofieva
Our sister has no relatives and was formerly living in a women’s shelter. She now lives in a very bad apartment block, where she has to barricade herself in after dark. Struggling with cancer, she sits wrapped in blankets reading the Bible much of the day. Winter is a long hard season for her, with extra bills to somehow cope with from a tiny pension. She has a truly wonderful faith and will, we feel sure, shine brightly in God’s Kingdom to come. Till then, we will try to support her as best we can.
I would like to contribute to the Winter Appeal!
[Optional]
I would like …
a receipt
an update on my contribution
a reply from my beneficiary
Name ………………………………………………………..................................
Email ………………………………………….…………….................................
Address ………………………………………………….................................
………………………………………………………………….................................
Here’s how you can donate:
Send a cheque made out to “Carelinks” to:
AUSTRALIA: Carelinks, FAO John Thatcher. P.O. Box 152, MENAI CENTRAL, NSW 2234 Australia
CANADA: Steve and Connie Keating, 3420 Lakeshore Road, R.R.3, Alexandria, ON K0C 1A0 Canada
EUROPE: Sonia Hemingray, 40 Rue de la Baisse, F-69100, VILLEURBANNE, FRANCE
NEW ZEALAND: Glynn & Helen Pyper, 24 B Charlotte Street, Stanmore Bay 0932, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
UNITED KINGDOM: Robin & Jean Field, 4 Ellergreen, Burneside, Kendal LA9 5SD U.K.
U.S.A.: Carelinks USA, c/o Charlie Klennert, PO Box 1049, Sumner, WA 98390 U.S.A.
ELSEWHERE: Carelinks, FAO John Thatcher. P.O. Box 152, MENAI CENTRAL, NSW 2234 Australia
Donate online via PayPal to info@carelinks.net ; more information at http://carelinks.net/doc/otherdonations
For more information, details of tax efficient giving or comments please contact one of the above Carelinks members or email us at info@carelinks.net .
Carelinks USA is a 501 [C] registered tax efficient entity in the U.S.A. More details from Brother Charlie Klennert, Charlie@tacomaecclesia.net Tel. 206-550-4674 .
You can donate anonymously to our bank account:
Name: Carelinks
BSB#: 062259
Account#: 10255595
Bank: Sutherland Commonwealth Bank.
Branch Name: Sydney, Australia
Sort Code CTBAAU2S
Whether you can donate or not, please do join us in prayer for this significantly large group of brothers and sisters who will be facing considerable hardship and worry this Winter.