St Saviours Anglican Church Riga
Background
Our partner church, celebrates 200 years of service to the community, in 2022. It has survived the devastating Soviet occupation, when the church was a student union dance hall. Today, the church also hosts three other, Lutheran congregations.
How is the Church helping?
St Saviours is very inclusive but has faced real struggles with finance even before the pandemic.
Their most important outreach is the weekly soup kitchen, serving between 90 and 150 homeless people. Since the onset of the pandemic, feeding their guests each Saturday has drastically changed. They can no longer use the church undercroft and have had to purchase disposable dishes, etc., virtually doubling costs. They have enough donated soup to last only until March 2021. The soup kitchen gives opportunity to initiate other projects for the homeless such as counselling; spiritual needs; art therapy and more.
What is the impact so far?
- up to 150 homeless guests fed every week
- counselling therapy and other support provided
- encouragement and spiritual assistance.
- As Irma Kalnina, Church Warden says: “No pandemic can stop our work. Under no circumstances will we ever stop feeding the poor.”
How are we going to help?
Our contribution will enable the kitchen to replenish its stocks and provide continuing help through the pandemic
We will contribute also to improving worship at St Saviour’s, helping with lighting and the equipment needed to provide online support to the congregation.
https://anglicanriga.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/rigaanglican
(read about their cat too!)