Home Care is one of Hesed priority programs. Without this program life for many of our clients would be much more difficult and even impossible for some of them. Program officers cook meals, do household work, help our clients do personal hygiene procedures, enable the clients communicate with the outside world. But still there is always a need for spring-cleaning and technical assistance, which cannot be rendered without special skills.

We decided to attract our volunteers to do the long postponed work which requires a lot of time and effort. We already had such experience by attracting international students’ volunteer teams. Such teams worked in Hesed during the summer, but help is wanted throughout the year. Thus we had an idea to create weekend teams. Their work includes installation of sanitary ware, replacement of taps, furniture repairs, whitewashing, and spring-cleaning.

In view of the upcoming 65th anniversary of the Victory in the great Patriotic War, weekend teams first served the war veterans. Some people from the war generation need help which is provided by Home Care Program. Elderly people are used to their home appliances bought many years ago. No wonder these things break from time to time. That is when the technical skills of our volunteers are needed.

One of the visits was to Fira Yakovlevna Spivak’s. The weekend team consisting of Yuriy Chugainov, Lidiya and Inna Tome did spring-cleaning, replaced the mixer tap in the bathroom. At Lyudmila Prokopievna Tyutyushkina’s white washing, and cleaning of chandeliers, windows, and doors was done. At our clients’ apartments several teams worked during the whole weekend day.

This was a trial experience so far. But it has become clear that this work is necessary; there is no way our clients can live without this help. Home Care Officers are limited with time and budget. Weekend teams are a great gift to War veterans and other elderly people.

Lyudmila Starodubova