A Beacon of Hope for 20 years in Macedonia

When Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, then in charge of the United Methodist Church in Central and Southern Europe, conducted an opening ceremony of the "Miss Stone Center" in 2001, it marked the official beginning of a trail of blessings that has since run through the lives of many hundreds of men and women.

For 20 years, vehicles have been on the road as part of the "Meals on Wheels" program in the southeastern Macedonian town of Strumica, bringing a full hot meal to the elderly and needy five times a week. And for 20 years, the recipients of the meals have experienced:

We are not left to ourselves. There are people in whose eyes our lives have value. Men and women who give us care, who live love - and who awaken a hope in us. Again and again.

The anniversary of the "Miss Stone Center" came at a difficult time. While other parts of Europe were struggling with floods in the summer, it was very hot in North Macedonia - and there were also major fires. Far more serious, however, were the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In one year, 25% of the recipients of "Meals on Wheels" died from Covid-19.  This was due to Covid-19, but also to the consequences of the ailing healthcare system. For example, even the most seriously ill were no longer admitted to hospital, even though they did not have Covid-19. This also shows to some extent that Covid-19 is far from being the only potentially life-threatening reality for numerous people in North Macedonia. Since "Meals on Wheels" has a long waiting list, this development did not affect the scope of the project. Nevertheless, it is also a very stressful situation for the employees.

In Radovis, too, where the staff of the "Miss Stone Center" regularly offer a simple meal to the needy, the need is obvious: the number of people seeking help is increasing due to factory and store closures caused by the pandemic...