- December 29, 2012
- 274
The Light over Bethlehem – a charity concert by Stella Spei
Already for the seventh time, Stella Spei invites you to a Christmas charity concert titled “The Light over Bethlehem.” This time the group is going to play for the benefit of the Soleczniki (Šalčininkai) Adult Daycare Center for the Mentally Disabled and its patients. The concert is going to take place on January 6th 2013 at 4 PM in the Polish Cultural Center in Vilnius.
For as many as six years the inhabitants of Vilnius have been joining their efforts to help the needy finance their therapy. It has all started on the initiative of Ilona and Adam Jurewicz, directors of Stella Spei, the schola of Blessed Jerzy Matulewicz (Jurgis Matulevičius-Matulaitis) Church in Vilnius.
“Since 2007 we have been organizing Christmas carol evenings coupled with charitable actions. Thanks to our benefactors, we have already managed to equip children’s homes in Podbrodzie (Pabradė) and Soleczniki (Šalčininkai), as well as the Adult Daycare Center in Niemenczyn (Nemenčinė). Plus, recently we have also been trying to support individual people who struggle with health and financial problems. During the last three years we have managed to help eleven people,” says Adam Jurewicz, one of the initiators of the actions, to PL DELFI.
“This time we are going to collect money for the Soleczniki (Šalčininkai) Adult Daycare Center for the Mentally Disabled and its patients,” explains Ilona Jurewicz, director of Stella Spei, to PL DELFI.
“Last year we managed to help five people ill with leukemia, four of whom were children aged two to four. Thanks to good-hearted donors we gathered 29707,75 LTL, which were used for rehabilitation, medicines, and vitamins for the ill,” says Mr. Jurewicz about last year’s achievements.
Apart from Stella Spei, at the concert you are also going to hear Il Canto from Soleczniki (Šalčininkai) and Arfa from the Kiwiszki (Kyviškės) Primary School. Admission to the concert is free.
“This year we have created public benefit organization AD BONUM so as to be able to widen and improve our help. The sub-account below is devoted exclusively to this year’s charitable action.
AD BONUM, VŠĮ
SWEDBANK, AB, LT10 7300 0101 3358 8276
A few words about people whom we want to support:
Evgenij Bierdnikov, 14 years old, lives together with his mum and younger brother. The mum struggles with cancer. Evgenij’s father lives in Russia and does not care about his family at all. The family’s house is in a dilapidated state, it is not at all fit for human habitation. The toilet is outside, in the house there is no running water. The family’s only income comes from a disability benefit. The mum can hardly buy medicines, not to mention winter coats for the kids.
Dariusz Gabrylewski, 15 years old, lives together with his mum. His parents are divorced. The father does not support Dariusz in any way. Dariusz and his mum share house with another family, and their half of the house is also unfit for human habitation. They do not have a bathroom, in the house there is no running water either. Thus, water has to be carried in hand or on a sledge from Kamionka (Akmeninė), a village located one kilometer from the house. In the winter the house is full of snow, as its doors and windows are draughty.
Dariusz Pietraszun, 16 years old, lives together with his mum and brother, who is already a student. His father died. The mum is not able to have a full-time job because of Dariusz’s condition. She can hardly support herself and the sons.
Ingrida Baranovskaja is 20 years old. Her father died. Her mother, left with three daughters, has to manage on her own. Because of Ingrida’s condition, she is not able to work full time. In addition, she is not very young, and therefore she also has some health issues. The family do not have their own house, they share one with other people. They can hardly get by. Ingrida’s bed, as well as the whole house, is not adjusted to her needs. What is, however, most urgent about the house, is repair the leaky roof and change the electric installation which presently poses a threat to the family’s safety.
Krystyna Adamowicz, 26 years old, lives together with a sister, who tries to take care of her. Both of her parents died. The house in which the sisters live needs complete refurbishment. The heat leaks from the roof, so changing the roof covering is indispensable. Moreover, the house needs a bathroom and a toilet for the sisters to keep the minimal standard of personal hygiene.
Apart from Evgenij, who is autistic, all of the above-listed people have cerebral palsy. Krystyna has both cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.
About Stella Spei
In the beginning, i.e. in years 1999-2000, the group sang only in Blessed Jerzy Matulewicz (Jurgis Matulevičius-Matulaitis) Church in Vilnius. The Latin name “stella spei,” which means “the star of hope,” was given to the group in April 2004. As the name suggests, the group’s mission is to give light and joy to everybody whom they meet on their way. The group’s spirit shines so bright as to those who have lost all hopes can hear the voice of the Lord.
Tłumaczenie Natalia Błędowska w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Natalia Błędowska the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
