Ukraine, a nation that suffered greatly during World War II, has thousands of elderly men and women without family support and with a pension of less than $20 dollars a month. Combating this crisis at state, Light for the Lonely reaches out to the elderly by providing their basic needs of food and medicine.

Light of the Lonely is lead by missionaries Lee and Sandy Allison from the US Assemblies of God who were linked with Christian Hope Church in Kiev Ukraine. The outreach started since November 2001 and since it had offered twice a week feeding program, volunteers delivering meals to homebound elderly and also providing for their basic medical and personal needs, and a cafeteria rented on Tuesdays and Fridays to enjoy fellowship and food.

Through the outreach, the elderly have been healed spiritually as well. Some within weeks softened their demeanors. For Neena, it was the greatest impact in her life and her tumor on the head was instantly healed.

"I only went to the cafeteria because I knew I could get food," says Neena, "but one day as I walked home, after believing all my life that there is no God, I experienced an 'explosion' inside and began singing one of the songs I learned at the program. I felt like a young girl and walked the rest of the way home without any of the heaviness I had always carried."

Now the leaders of the outreach are exploring new ways for self-supporting so the ministry can be expanded to other areas of Ukraine. Convoy of Hope gave several industrial sewing machines to help Light of the Lonely to generate income and assist them toward greater sustainability.

Recently the outreach planned to locate themselves in four acres of land right outside of Keiv and built a hospice home for up to 20 terminal ill elderly patients to dwell in. This place will be a base for distribution of food, medicine, and gospel literature to the elderly and allow the workers to give all around attention to the residents. Christian Hope Church will resume funding the project once the property is purchased.