These are people and projects I know personally. If you feel like making a contribution in money, things, or in your time, consider these.

Doctor Liza, the angel for Moscow homeless. Russian sites: doctorliza.ru / doctor-liza.livejournal.com/  Works off a basement near Metro Novokuznetskaya. Her needs are money, clothing, and helping hands. If needed I am available to deliver things. No English translation of her site but here is something about her in English: video.kylekeeton.com/2009/10/russian-video-doctor-liza.html and english.ruvr.ru/2010/08/18/16201351.html  Since I seem to have a dromomania developing and am likely to succumb to the urge to become a vagabond I’m personally highly supportive of Doctor Liza’s cause.

A hospice for terminally ill cancer patients. See hospicefund.ru. The city of Moscow covers the basics but the Hospice provides comfort, care, and dignity, which are not part of the deal with the Soviet/Russian state. Alexandra (see Kandalaksha Nature Reserve) has some joint writing projects with them. My role is much humbler and, in line with rapidly progressing dromomania, is to deliver stuff. I’m particularly popular in this role after I found myself in the possession of a total of 8m3 (over 80ft3) of cargo space.

The most this vehicle carried for the Hospice was ~1700kg (~3600 lbs) of stuff. Doable although not easy.

Old folks home in Kolionovo, near Yegoryevsk, east of Moscow Oblast. Misha Slyapnikov (?), the hero behind the project, is active in making rural life livable. He needs hands (landscaping, farming, debris cleanup, construction), publicity, and just about everything else. East from Moscow, Yegor’yevsk region. Their site  www.kolionovo.parykino.ru/ is Russian only but here there are a few stories in English floating around. Misha’s project is also your excuse to get out of Moscow. Kolionovo is the “real” countryside yet it is only a couple of hours from the center of Moscow if roads are clear.

Paulina Fedorovna, the retired director of the Staritsa (Tver region) children’s shelter, is actively helping single mothers. She collects and distributes clothing. She is one of my worthy contacts in Staritsa. Paulina herself needs health care so that she can effectively continue her work despite her failing health and in particular vision. Let me know if you want to help in any way.