Street Mercy 5 year anniversary
Street Mercy in Bulgaria celebrates 5th anniversary
In February,The Mission Without Borders team in
Sofia, Bulgaria celebrated the 5th anniversary of the
StreetMercy project.
The project was set up in 2012, in partnership with the
local church, in response to the growing issues of unemployment and
therefore homelessness in Bulgaria's capital. In winter especially,
there was a huge need when temperatures in the city plummet to -20,
leaving many people extremely vulnerable on the
streets.
StreetMercy is essentially a mobile soup kitchen that
provides warm food, clothes, shoes, blankets, plus medical,
emotional and spiritual support to the homeless six days a week.
The service operates from two locations in the city and those who
come to get food each day include: children from Children's homes,
youth from broken families, the unemployed and men and women
suffering from addiction and mental and physical
disabilities.
On one of distribution days, Sarkis, MWB's Field Country
Manager in Bulgaria, along with representatives from the local
authority and church partners, greeted the beneficiaries as they
gathered to collect their food and prayed for them. Mrs Fandakova,
the city's Mayor, also came and the homeless were amazed at the
time she took to shake their hands and talk with them.
Sarkis said: "I would like to thank everyone who has
made this project happen over the past five years, from volunteers
to our supporters around the world. The aim of the project
has always been simple - to provide and show Christian love to the
most vulnerable in our society. I pray that we will be able to
continue to support those in great need and that they will find
some hope and light in their lives through this project and the
love of Jesus Christ."
120 homeless people are supported currently in the city and
it is estimated that over the past five years up to 4,000 people
have been reached as a result of the projec