NEW YORK: February 28, 2020
Appeal by Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York to Parish Rectors, Directors and Teachers of Parish Schools

Beloved in the Lord, Parish Rectors,
Directors and Teachers of Parish and Sunday schools

With our blessing and in the framework of the initiated program “School Piggy Bank”, The Prince Vladimir Youth Association, together with the Synodal Youth Department, are organizing financial assistance to orphans in need. In the past four years we have been able to provide help to children in orphanages in: Banchena, Ukraine, Tikvin, Russia, St. Elizabeth orphanage in Minsk and the “Samaritan” children’s hospice in Pinsk, Belorussia.

This year we are looking forward to helping orphans with social and psychological ailments in the remote area of Siberia, Irkutsk region. Most of the children there never had a home and have serious complex diagnoses.

During Great Lent, this good deed will take the form of a program known as the “School Piggy Bank” program, children helping children. We appeal to you to help support these poor orphans.

We hope this Great Lent your children will express their love God and their neighbor by helping these needy children and learn a valuable lesson of sacrifice for those in need. Details from previous collections can be found at www.youthpv.org

Donations should be collected from March 7 –April 11, 2020. Checks should be made out to: The Prince Vladimir Youth Association and sent c/o Archpriest Andrei Sommer, 75 E.93rd st, New York, NY 10128.

All parishes will be provided with a report on how their collected donations were used.

Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York
First hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia