Russia (MNN) — Crisis Center #15 in St. Petersburg houses 20 infants and toddlers with just one government official to oversee them. Many of them suffer from diseases, including HIV and AIDS, and all of their heads have been shaved to avoid the spread of lice. On top of that, their short history is marked by neglect and tragedy.
Hannah's Hands, an initiative of Orphan Outreach, stepped in to help at Crisis Center #15. One paid government official can barely provide for the children's physical needs, let alone their emotional, psychological and spiritual needs. The effect of neglect in these areas is deep and long-lasting and can include physical
and social problems. Sometimes even death can result if the neglect is extreme.
The four women with Hannah's Hands receive modest pay for their work; two are full-time and the other two, part-time.
Recently, two policemen heard a child's cries as they patrolled an apartment complex. They couldn't find the location of a child anywhere when one of the officers happened to look
up to see a small girl hanging from the tree branches above. She had fallen from
a sixth story window and providentially was caught by the branch. It is uncertain how long she'd been there. Though she was not hurt, the incident was clearly the result of neglect.
The young child was taken to Crisis Center #15, and the women are there to help provide the nurture she desperately needs. They rotate their shifts to make sure one of them is at the center at all times.
Orphan Outreach would like to increase the two part-time women to full-time, as well as raise more funds for additional staff to help with the overwhelming needs in the country. The work they
are doing will not only help the children to live more productive and happy lives, but it ultimately gives them the opportunity to have eternal life with Christ.
The Hannah's Hands workers teach love by example, and the kids are learning. One little boy watches over and shares what he has with a younger boy at the center. When asked why he does this, he replied, "Because he is my brother and I love him."
