Before\nworking my shift, I was given a quick tour of their office and facility, where\npeople can seek extended housing and more in-depth services like legal and\npsychological counseling, job-search assistance, and more advanced medical\ncare. And while these services are vital and make a strong impact on the\ncommunity, I was more impressed with how invested both the volunteers and\nemployees were with the people they helped. Andrey Chapaev (a full-time\nemployee at Nochlezhka), guided me around the building proudly,\nmaking warm conversation with the current residents and introducing me to many\nof them as well. Chapaev greeted these men and women as if old friends and quickly\nbrought smiles to their faces\u2014something that reminded me of the conversations\nwith the shoppers of the Oxford food pantry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a volunteer,\nI handed out bread and soup to the lines of people at each stop on the Night\nBus. Like clockwork, the bus would pull into one of its designated stops and\n40-50 people would already be lining up to receive a hot meal and medical\nservices. While I wasn\u2019t able to speak much to those in line besides asking \u201c\u0431\u0435\u043b\u044b\u0439\n\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0447\u0435\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439\u201d \u2014white or black bread\u2014I got to experience a different\nside of Petersburg and find a connection to work I have done in Ohio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Source: https:\/\/homeless.ru\/en\/projects\/200381\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n When talking to the other\nvolunteers, many believed working on the Night Bus was a part of their duty as\nRussian citizens\u2014a way to help their neighbors without a home. Others were\npreviously aided by Nochlezhka and had first-hand experience of the severity of\nRussian homelessness and the importance of their work there tonight. In return,\nI talked about my own experiences at the Oxford food pantry and how I\nappreciated the chance to be more involved in my community. And despite an often-frustrating\nlanguage barrier, I found common ground through community service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I rode the Night Bus for\njust under seven hours. Seven hours in the freezing outskirts of the cultural capital\nof Russia, past the glittering buildings bustling with activity. Seven hours\nhanding out bread to men and women who would smile as I slipped them an extra\ncookie or two with their tea. Seven hours of cultural education and connecting\nwith people with the same passions as I have. In seven hours, I learned more\nabout the invisible homeless population than any class could ever teach me. I\nalso learned that there are dedicated people fighting homelessness and\npoverty\u2014something I hope to continue in my own way here in Oxford. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on\nNochlezhka and the Night Bus program, visit: https:\/\/homeless.ru\/en\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on the Talawanda\u00a0Oxford Pantry & Social Services, visit: https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/topsspantry\/about?authuser=0<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jessica Baloun is a senior majoring in International Studies and History with a minor in Russian. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jessica Baloun Studying in a foreign country provides the opportunity to experience a new culture, new people, and a new worldview. When I touched down in St. Petersburg, Russia this February, I thought this mostly meant exploring museums and … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/havighurst\/files\/2020\/08\/baloun1.jpg\")
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\n (Source: https:\/\/homeless.ru\/en\/projects\/478\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/havighurst\/files\/2020\/08\/baloun2.jpg\")
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\nNochlezhka,\nwhile quickly becoming an invaluable resource for the some of the most vulnerable\ncitizens of Petersburg, has faced much pushback since is founding. Attempts for\nexpansion in Moscow are constantly met with negative reception from both the\npublic and the government. Many Russians still associate homelessness as a\nresult of criminal activity, rather than a lack of legislative action and pay\nequity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n