Already for 20 years takes care of those who are having hard times

Reports about The Salvation Army in the local newspapers in Latvia

 

Iecava, October 19, “iecavas ziņas”

Elīna Arāja

Already for 20 years takes care of those who are having hard times

On Saturday, October 6, the international Christian organisation the Salvation Army (SA) Iecava corps with lots of guests the 20 year anniversary was celebrated.

In the solemn event present was also the first leader of the Iecava corps Norwegian Ruth Hansen who now is leading the SA Bauska corps. The hall was fulfilled with musical greetings from the Bauska corps choir, tells Karīna Kozlovska, one of the SA Iecava corps leaders. Among greeters there were also former officers of the Iecava corps, as well as the leader of local municipality, workers of the Social Service and others. Heart-warming greeting was given by the SA Regional Commanders Peter and Rut, but while the small children were blowing soap bubbles, young people sung a greeting song.

It was then...

The participants of the celebration remembered the past. The Salvation Army officer Ruth Hansen arrived in Iecava on one sunny summer day – on August 1, 1992. Since then she had to live here, serve God and take care of people. At the beginning meetings took place in the market square, then – in the Iecava Boarding School, but already for many years the permanent residential place for Iecava corps is a house on Rigas street 23.

The Salvation Army started its work in Latvia already in 1923 during the time of independent Latvia. During the soviet times it was working in secret, but then the revival started it was officially restored.

New leaders

It is common in the Salvation Army to have a rotation of corps leaders. In this year of anniversary since July 26 the leaders of the Iecava corps are two young women from Riga: Lieutenant Liene Lazdiņa is responsible for communication with adults and Lieutenant Karīna Kozlovska takes care of children and youth. After two-year training this summer they were commissioned as lieutenants and appointed to lead a corps.

Camps for children

Karīna is working in Iecava on full time since August 1 because in July she was leading a children camp in Ainaži. These camps are big support for children from poor and socially marginalised families. “For them it is an opportunity to get out of the harsh daily reality and to see that there is something lighter in the world,” says Karīna. All the camps are organized for children at the age from four up to 18 years, even though sometimes whole families participate in them. In Ainaži camp there were children that saw the sea for the first time in their lives, so they all went swimming several times per day. In order for children to be interesting in camps, every time there is a topic chosen for the camp. The topic of last summer camp “Spiegu bērni” (“Spy Kids”) was especially exciting for the participants.

For two years Karīna has worked as a volunteer in various SA camps in America, but already when she was a teenager she had been leading different Christian camps.

The camp fee for the Salvation Army camps for poor children is covered by the donators, but mostly the money is received by the SA leadership from Sweden. In Latvia it is not easy to collect in donations the needed amount of money.

Help to the local people

Salvation Army mainly works with socially marginalised people, which is also shown in its motto: soup, soap, salvation. One of its main tasks is to feed those who don’t really have anything to eat. The SA has joined the Ziedot.lv project “Silta maltīte” (“Warm Meal”), where they receive goods from shop chain Rimi. Such a support will be available also next year. Big support to the soup kitchen is also the AS “Balticovo” which gives them eggs.

Soup can be received in the first floor of the building. Some time ago only around ten people came to the soup kitchen, but now the number has increased a lot – during the winter time up to 100 people daily receive warm meal.

Lūcija Muceniece has helped a lot to the soup kitchen, but the biggest suppliers of vegetables have been both Vineta and Pāvels Muduri, and Vilnis and Laima Kalderauski; significant support is provided also by the municipality. The budget for the soup kitchen for this year is 6000 LVL, from which till the September 30 have been used 59.7%.

The cook of the Iecava corps Lilita Lazdiņa who works there already for many years is much appreciated there. “Practically Lilita is the main person here. She works to her full potential, and she always tries to help,” admits Karīna.

Soup is made every day: three times a week everyone can come to the soup kitchen, but two days are left for people invited by workers of the Social Service. To those people who can’t come to the soup kitchen, Salvation Army workers deliver soup to their homes, even as far as to Zālīte.

The SA closely cooperates with the Social Service in order to find out about the people that need the help the most. In the day care centre it possible also to wash in a shower and to use a washing machine. Also the SA in Iecava offers to learn common English for free, as well as to participate in aerobics. Once a week children (7-12 years) and youth (13+ years) take place, but every Sunday there are worship meetings. “It is not like that that everyone who comes to activities also comes to meetings,” says Karīna, emphasising that everyone can participate in activities without any liabilities. It is interesting that Karīna also is teaching Middle Age sword-fighting. In order to do that, she has received a certificate. If anyone would be interested, she can also teach first steps in self-defence.

Nice event every week is a Home League when people can come together, discuss, obtain new knowledge in house-holding and do them practically, because there are people who don’t know how to do the most simple things.

“Everyone is welcome to participate in these activities; we will try to help to everyone. But people can just come and unburden themselves,” says Karīna. She also invites to bring clothes to the Iecava corps that could be given to the needy.