Helena's Story

This is one of the 100 stories and one of the lives that are waiting for the winter home.

This is Helena. All her life she lived in this village. She lived happily with her husband for 52 years building the house together, building their lives together so that they could spend their peaceful old years together. They had everything they needed. Her husband passed away in September last year and she is very grateful he didn’t live long enough to see these days of war.  

At first when Russian troops came in her village she was hiding in a garage. One day two Russian soldiers came in to examine her home looking for men. She came out holding her cat and told them she was alone with her cat. They did not want to believe her that there was no man living with her. They checked thoroughly all her rooms, cellar, garage and garden. People were hiding males, since most of them were a target and were being shot.  After the check up, they allowed her to put a peace of white cloth on her fence, marking that the house was checked. She remained living in her garage, really thinking it would protect her from shelling. However, her house was bombed, she lost everything and currently lives in a tent.

She is so sweet, such a hard worker - the garden is planted and soon to be harvested.  She can provide for herself to an extent. After her husband died she took their wedding rings and put them in china cups in the cabinet. As she was going through the rubble she spotted them. She could not believe it - the 2 cups survived and so did the rings. From the fire, the rings deformed and melted into the china, but it’s still the most valuable and precious memory for her. She says “God was watching over me and over my beloved husband”.

We will bring a beautiful box to put her memory treasure and we are also very honored to bring her a home for winter.