Frequently Asked Questions
How many of you are there?
Where
is Perm? How big is it?
What exactly are donations used
for?
Are you a religious organization?
How
do you protect your children's privacy?
Can I come
to Russia and help as a volunteer?
Do you have any volunteer
programs outside of Russia?
Are “Love’s Bridge” and “Zashita”
separate organizations?
What is your relation to the Moscow
branch of “Love’s Bridge”?
What is your relation to the
Family Care Foundation?
As of January 2007 there is 2 British and 1 Russian manager in Perm and 11 paid Russian staff
members. Non-Russian volunteers come and go, and there have been up to 14 foreign
volunteers at once. The Love's Bridge board of directors consists of 6 Americans
and 1 Irish person.
Where
is Perm? How big is it?
Perm is in Russia, near the Ural mountain range that divides Europe from Asia. It’s not actually in Siberia. Perm has a population of 1,2 million. It’s an industrial city, which is one reason why the transition from Communism was especially difficult here—many industries shut down and consequently people found themselves unemployed with a virtually non-existent social security system. Major production: timber, steel, oil, coal, and metal products including airplane parts.
View
map of Perm’s location relative to other major Russian cities (21 K)
View
map of the Perm region, courtesy of MS Encarta (190 K)
What exactly are donations used for?
We have no administrational expenses in the US. As you can see from the budget below, our administrational expenses in Perm come to maximum of 1.6% of the project's total expenses. In other words, 100% of your donations go directly to the project in Perm, and 98.6% go directly to the care and rehabilitation of Perm's street children.
We will be happy to send donors a breakdown of income and / or expenses for any month..
Are you a religious organization?
Love’s Bridge is not a religious organization, and accepts volunteers of any religious or non-religious orientation. However, many of the volunteers and staff members who work for Love’s Bridge are Christian and feel that God has called them to do this work.
How do you protect your children's privacy?
We only post news from or information about specific children with their permission. If a child prefers to remain anonymous, we will not publish any information about them, yet they will receive the same benefits as those who choose to let their stories be published. That said, most former street children are not very shy, and they are usually happy to have their stories and photos published. We specifically avoid publishing any child's surname or middle name.
Read more in our Child Protection Policy.
Can I come to Russia and help as a volunteer?
Yes, volunteers started Love’s Bridge and at first there weren’t any paid staff members! There is a great need for people who are ready to give a part of their lives to this cause. However, conditions are rough & you will have to pay your own expenses, like those of us that are here do, so we suggest you read the following information & consider carefully:
The Need for Volunteers:
There are so many ways volunteers could make a positive difference here I don’t think I could even think of them all—each volunteer that has come has made their own unique contribution—it all depends on personal initiative. If you come as a volunteer the managers will do their best to help you get set up and give you some ideas of how you could help, but they won’t be able to find your niche for you or act as a translator, you’ll be part of our “team” but you’ll have to act largely on your own initiative. A knowledge of the Russian language, previous experience with difficult children, medical experience, musical talent etc. are all very useful, but anybody who’s willing to be a friend to these forsaken children can help them tremendously. Many have learned enough Russian to communicate with the kids a bit in just a few weeks. If you don’t speak any Russian and have a hard time learning languages you may have a difficult time, however, because very few here speak English.
Conditions:
Volunteers don’t receive a salary and they pay for their own living expenses, travel expenses and visa. The exact amount it will cost you to live while here depends on the level of comfort you want, but it’s pretty safe to say that you can live on $200 a month if you’re willing to live like most Russians do.
Warnings:
Life in Russia is not easy, and working with street children can be difficult and even dangerous, as many of them carry infectious diseases. As a foreigner you risk being robbed and / or cheated by Russians, especially if you are not street wise. Life here can be very strenuous compared to life in the US or Europe, there is more physical danger and less comfort. Russian medical facilities are very poor and it’s not advisable to come here if you have regular medical problems.
On a more positive note, most Russians are very easy to make friends with and quite hospitable, and being here has an exotic side to it. Most people that come here find it quite an interesting experience.
Rules:
Volunteers should refrain from the following practices in our shelters: consumption of alcoholic beverages or drugs, administration of physical punishment and any other potentially harmful behavior. It would be preferable to not smoke. What you do outside of our shelters would of course be up to you, and you are free to set your own schedule. Love’s Bridge is not a religious organization and accepts volunteers of any religious orientation.
Click here to fill out a volunteer application form.
Contact us if you’d like more detailed information.
Do you have any volunteer programs outside of Russia?
We don't have any specific volunteer programs outside of Russia. However, if you would like to help but are unable to donate, see this page or contact us. We’d be happy to hear from you!
E-mail: bridge@perm.raid.ru
Are “Love’s Bridge” and “Zashita” separate organizations?
Love’s Bridge & Zashita are separate organizations working together in Perm. Decisions concerning the projects are made jointly between Love’s Bridge managers and the chairperson of Zashita. See Legal Info for more about these organizations.
What is your relation to the Moscow branch of “Love’s Bridge”?
Love’s Bridge was started in Moscow, but the Perm branch is fully independent, financially and otherwise. The focus in Perm is on aiding street children. The focus in Moscow was on aiding orphans, but the project no longer exists in Moscow.
What is your relation to the Family Care Foundation?
Love's Bridge broke ties with the FCF on January 1st, 2004.