Meet 92 y.o. Baba Irina. She is a veteran of World War II. She has seen a lot of trouble in her days. She is frail and humble. She loves buckwheat kasha with lots of butter, cats, children, and a good story. But little did she expect to be part of a story like this in her November days.

When war broke out in Ukraine, Baba Irina’s family had to flee to a safer city. There was no way they could bring Babushka with them. She would not have made the trip alive.

They had a small hope that the monks at the Dormition monastery in Svyatogorsk (People’s Donetsk Republic) would help them, but were too afraid to receive a denial. So they left her with a small bag of her things under the bridge next to the monastery gates  - at night, in the pouring rain.

Do I need to tell you that when the monks found her crying, soaking wet in the morning they took her in? I’m sure you knew they would.

But where do you come in?  Just you wait.

Today Baba Irina lives with hundreds of other refugees at the monastery. She has a warm, clean room, someone who helps her get dressed and take a bath, and a good bowl of buckwheat every day.

It is thanks to amazing people like you that the Fund for Assistance has been able to send funds to the monastery to provide refugees like Baba Irina with food, medicine, clothes, and heat in the winter.

Would that have been possible without you? That would be an absolute “No.”

That is why you are my hero.

Thanks to your kindness, we've been able to send over $9,232.00 to help refugees like Baba Irina.

People like you make it so much easier for someone like me to see that our Church does have a future. That because of your support and selflessness, a needy clergy family can pay rent this month.  An Orthodox child in far-away Haiti has enough to eat today. The only ROCOR parish in Mexico City or Buenos Aires will not have to shut down 

And it’s all thanks to people like you.

You are absolutely amazing. I am humbled every time I think about the help you have given our Church through the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR over time.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

God sees the kindness in your heart, I see the generosity of your spirit, our beneficiaries see your love for them.  You are building up an army of intercessors for yourself in Heaven.

Thank you.

Christ is Risen!

Mark Selawry
FFA President

P.S. Thank you so much for your love and compassion to the members of our Church!

P.P.S. Baba Irina says hello and says you need to roast the buckwheat kernels before making kasha!

Baba Irina’s famous kasha

1 cup buckwheat (roasted)

2 cups water

Boil the water with some salt. Add the buckwheat, boil for 5 minutes, lower the heat and cook another 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, cover the kasha and let stand for 15 minutes. Do not uncover! 

Baba Irina strongly suggests adding some fried onions and a good chunk of salted butter.