Seed to the Ukraine

Patricia McKeen brought the seeds of hope to people in two northern villages in the Ukraine. Patricia is a volunteer with Good Samaritan Ministries based in Beaverton, Oregon. The mission of the group last August was to provide dental care for children, but Patricia saw another way she could help, and Al’s Garden Center was happy to assist.

 

 Last August the group went to the Ukraine to provide dental care to children in the villages of Korestyn and Alexandrovka. The photo of the little girl in blue denim is a photo of a child waiting to see the dentist. Patricia traveled along with people from Good Samaritan Ministries, taking care of the children who were waiting to see the dentist. Many of these children had never seen a dentist, and some had never seen an American.

 

Al’s Garden Center had given Patricia boxes of vegetable and flower seeds, whose freshness date had expired, but whose viability was still good.   Patricia planned to give these seeds to people she met along the way who needed a garden to provide food.

 

Patricia gave the seeds to individuals and organizations in the Ukraine. Many of the people in the two villages she visited had gardens and their gardens were a primary source of food.   The photo if the large building with the green roof is a “Widow’s Home” that is under construction. Once it is completed this home will house many widows, offering them a safe place to live. Many of the widows in the Ukraine live in homes with dirt floors and no running water and often go hungry. Patricia gave seeds to the builders of the Widow’s home, hoping to provide the start of a large garden the widows can grow and harvest.

 

The people from Good Samaritan Ministries also support a Treatment Center, which is a residential treatment center for drug and alcohol abuse in the village of Vigoda. The Treatment Center has a large garden including vegetables and flowers which are used by the patients at center. Patricia gave seeds to the people at the center, hoping to provide flowers and food for the program. If you would like to contact the Good Samaritan Ministries, they have a website at www.goodsamaritanministries.org.