When people leave, God finds
In our shelter, stories are born that leave no one indifferent. They touch the heart, make you rejoice and cry at the same time, rethink your life, and learn compassion. Each of them is not just the fate of one person, but a testimony to how even in the darkest circumstances the light of faith can shine. This was the story of Galina Kharitonovna.
Galina Kharitonovna was born on February 12, 1936, in the village of Martynivka, Barsky District, Vinnytsia Region. All her life she was a hard-working, sincere, and kind person. She lived in Odessa for a long time, where she worked as a grocery store manager for a certain period. She was respected among her colleagues, had stability, and her own home.
Galina Kharitonivna had a son and a daughter. But her life was not easy. At one point, she fell victim to so-called “black realtors” and lost her apartment. She was left homeless, without support or a safety net.
In 2012, something terrible happened—her son, who was an alcoholic, brought his mother and left her on the street, in the snow, near a tent. It was then, by God's providence, that Fedir Antonovich noticed her. He noticed that something was moving in the snowdrift. He approached and saw a living person. So the Lord allowed Galina Kharitonovna to be found and saved from the cold and death.
Since then, she has lived in a shelter, which has become a real home for her. Here she was cared for, fed, looked after, and supported in everything. Thanks to the shelter team, Galina Kharitonovna had all the necessary documents, was registered with a family doctor, and received a full social package.
Despite her illness and old age, she remained grateful to God for everything. She often said, “Praise God for everything!” — even when times were tough. She did not lose her faith and continued to pray for her children, especially her son Vitya, whom she loved with all her heart. Although her daughter did not communicate with her, believing that her mother had sold the apartment herself, Galina Kharitonovna did not hold a grudge against anyone. She prayed that God would give her children understanding, mercy, and forgiveness.
By the time she turned 89, she was bedridden, but her heart was full of faith and gratitude. Once a successful woman, a store manager who had everything, she ended her earthly journey with simple faith — every day she thanked God for bread, for warmth, for the care of the people whom the Lord had sent to her.
On January 9, 2026, Galina Kharitonovna passed away.
On January 14, 2026, the shelter team saw her off on her final journey. We said goodbye to her as if she were a member of our family. She was part of our community, our history, our prayers.
Her earthly journey had come to an end. But her life remains for us a testimony to God's mercy—a reminder that the Lord sees everyone, even those whom the world has forgotten. And when people leave, God finds.
