Recommendations

EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Moscow
March 17, 2003

Christina and Mike Greenberg and Jered Markoff
Love's Bridge Perm
Post Box 5886
Perm 614077

Dear Christina, Mike and Jered

I wish to thank you for hosting Lisa and me at Love's Bridge. We were immensely impressed with the wonderful work you are doing to help homeless children in the Perm oblast. Your commitment is evident not only in the safe and nurturing environment that you have created, but in the faces of the children themselves. The home environments these children abandoned must have been truly desperate for them to have chosen life on the streets and an uncertain future. It was obvious to us that these kids now have a chance to build decent lives for themselves because they are out of harm's way and understand that there are people like you and your staff who care about them.

Lisa and I were also impressed with how much you have accomplished with such limited resources. As a student we met in Perm noted, Love's Bridge is not only filling an important need, but is also demonstrating how even a few individuals can make a huge difference in a community. Nevertheless, I know that your plans to expand and improve your programs are constrained only by lack of money, not desire. We certainly wish you well in your efforts to attract new sources of finance so that your ambitions can be realized and more children can benefit from your program.

Your work in Perm truly shows Russia the best face of America -- the generosity, civic spirit and determination of citizens to help those who cannot help themselves. Equally important, Love's Bridge is creating a model for how Russians can begin to solve their problems through community activism and charitable efforts, rather than by relying solely on the local or national government.

Thank you once again for your inspiring example. Lisa and I wish you continued success in the future.

Sincerely,

Alexander Vershbow
Ambassador

19 October, 2001
To the team at “A Step Towards Home” and fund “Zashita”

Thank you for the meaningful work you are doing for our city, your love for children, your ability to endure, and your ability to understand the joy and grief of Perm ’s youngest citizens.

I hope that your good and sympathetic hearts will continue for many years to come to bring needy children in our city hope and joy.

The project "Love's Bridge" has been active in our city for three years. This group of Russian and foreign volunteers has dedicated themselves to help children who have found themselves in a difficult situation. These voluteers help children's homes in Perm and the Perm region, organizing and distributing humanitarian aid, from other parts of Russia as well as from abroad, which is an additional support for this catagory of children. The Perm administration values the assistance "Love's Bridge" volunteers give to street children, and hopes you will support this charitable effort.

Excerpts of speech by Tatayan Margolina, Vice Mayor of Perm--October 19th, 2000, the day "A Step Towards Home" was inaugurated.

I have to say that the volunteer group “Love’s Bridge” is taking the second step today, starting their second project called “A Step Towards Home”. The first step was taken three years ago, the opening of their first shelter. It’s important to note that the experience gained by this non-profit organization enabled the local municipality to establish something similar. In October we will also open a night shelter, but I emphasize that this non-profit organization pioneered the way, they showed us that this needs to be taken care of and that it can be done, and they gained the trust of Perm’s young homeless children…One additional important factor is that these volunteers operate quite differently from most local non-profit organizations. They come up with new ideas without waiting for help from the local government, showing everyone how much they love this work, and they unite everybody. I’m sure the list of sponsors you see here will grow, because the volunteers are not bogged down with administration, they simply show how much they love the children and are able to work with them. Because of this, as this new home opens and next step begins, I would like to thank you for this new trend that you are starting, a new atmosphere in the city.