During a time of national suffering, our Restoration Project crew has such an important job. They build in the midst of destruction. They restore stability to those in doubt.
Orphaned youth make up the crew, apprenticing in the home renovation trade with staff member Sergei. All their work benefits their fellow orphans.
In 2023, the crew kept showing up even as the air raid sirens sounded. These were their biggest projects from the past year:
The crew spent part of 2023 renovating the Shelter, our crisis housing facility for orphaned moms. They totally remodeled the kitchen, replaced the roof of the “gazebo” (an outdoor eating area), and renovated bedrooms. Thanks to their skills, the Shelter is even more warm and welcoming for moms who just need to be safe for a while.
Our crew worked alongside a contractor to renovate the Day Center. Now this hub of activity for our orphaned students has a full kitchen where staff and youth can cook together.
Like many orphaned students, Masha didn’t have a safe place to go after college. But she’d inherited an old apartment that needed many repairs. Our crew fixed her bathroom and kitchen, making her apartment a safe place to live after graduation.
Nothing goes to waste at the Restoration Project! Former Shelter resident Alina had a bare kitchen with no cupboards at all. So our crew hauled the Shelter’s old cupboards to her house and installed them. They added a stove a few months later.
At Last Bell, we believe everyone deserves a safe place to sleep at night. Your gifts make it happen for orphaned youth. Thank you!