On the southern edge of the new York borough of Brooklyn in close proximity to the famous amusement Park Coney island for almost a year there is a house for the Homeless in the name of St. John of Kronstadt, which takes on the rehabilitation of Russian-speaking homeless. They help them, the volunteers became heroes of the photo.
On 20 September at the exhibition of graduates of the new York Academy Movie was presented in a photo shoot Mary Muzalewski dedicated to House the Homeless and feeding the homeless on Brighton beach by volunteers of the charity Fund “Giving Hope Saint John.”
Maria, a graduate of Boston University and Lomonosov Moscow state University, and now the new York Film Academy, presented their photographs to the judgment of teachers, fellow students and visitors. The theme of helping the homeless, like Mary’s creative approach was appreciated and generated interest. Thus, the Orthodox volunteers help in trouble English-speaking residents of new York turned into a missionary story about Orthodoxy. To get acquainted with the works of Mary Muzalewski at New York Film Academy, 17 Battery Place, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005. Admission is free.
The volunteers who created the House of Industry, noted that approaching the first anniversary, they are optimistic about the prospects of social institutions, and the main reason for this is the divine Liturgy here now services are held regularly. With the blessing of the administrator of the Patriarchal parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA Bishop of Naro-Fominsk John about once every month and a half in the chapel at the House of Industry there comes the priest of the piously-Nikolaev Cathedral in Manhattan. Twice divine Liturgy was served by priest mark Rashkov and Abbot Nicodemus (Balyasnikov), Secretary of the Bishop John.
Every Liturgy is an important event in the community of ex-homeless people. After several years in the thrall of alcohol or drug addiction, now they correct their lives through work. To every next service the brothers try to make a new step in the decoration of the chapel: someone makes salaries for icons, someone repairs the premises — all have the opportunity to work to measure the forces and skills. Another service is a new step in spiritual growth when there is an opportunity to confess and to talk with the priest. Although many brothers House for the Homeless attend Church every Sunday, and Saturdays are traditionally conducted evening service by a layman, along with helping them volunteer in the Church life there is no coercion, and somebody is just getting ready to make your first step into Church or thinking about it, and for such people, the arrival of the priest in the House of Industry is an important event.
“When in the fall of 2017 the first of our wards moved into a cold non-refurbished room, which the Fund barely managed to take off, we didn’t know whether there will be force the clergy to take on this burden and to be of service,” – says the volunteer of the Fund “Giving Hope Saint John” Olga Grebennikova. “However, from the beginning, we supported the Archbishop of Naro-Fominsk, John. He blessed the father of Nicodemus to consecrate the room, and when the brothers have arranged a minimum of chapel, here was to serve the Liturgy, and this is definitely the most important incentive for our guys to change and I would say in the transformation of their lives,” continued Olga. “We are all eternally grateful to His grace Bishop John, the fathers of Nicodemus and the Brand and all of the clergy of St. Nicholas Cathedral,” she said.
One of the features of the chapel of St. John of Kronstadt in the fact that here it is his parish, and it includes not only the brothers living in the House for the Homeless. Here come the people who want to bring in common cause, part of his soul. For example, Olga Nikolaenko recently suffered a stroke, and now she confidently owns only half of the body, but yet finds the strength to cook soup for the homeless.
Volunteers will gratefully receive assistance: for the chapel will acquire such liturgical items needed for the Liturgy, as the paten, Zvezditsa and spear. In this case, volunteered to help the priest of a Russian father Oleg Togobetsky, which accepts donations to Sberbank card 5469 3800 7175 8493. In the case of the collection of the required amount, the priest will acquire and send everything you need in the Brooklyn chapel.
St John Of Give Hope Foundation, Inc. invites you to their pages in social networks Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Tel: +1-718-415-5777.