The Odessa Day Center

The day center opened at the beginning of January 2013 in Odessa and can be characterized as a makeover center.  Monday through Friday, a small group of service users who get meals on the bus are taken to the day center to get a shower and new outfits.

Volunteers collect, sort, and distribute donations.  The Odessa Day Center gives each visitor as needed: new underpants, socks, a razor, shampoo, pants, shirt, hat, scarf, coat, sweater, basic medical attention.

Valeri

This is Valeri from Moscow.  He's been in Odessa for one month, looking for work and finding little.  He would like to go back to Moscow, but it ashamed to return to see his mother without so much as a bouquet of flowers. 

Vechislav

Vechislav, age 37, is from Odessa.  He was falsely imprisoned for murder for two years.  He is separated from his wife, who had a baby two days ago. 

Service-users use the electric clippers to cut each other's hair.  Here Diamond is giving Vechislav a trim before he takes a shower.

Some volunteers are trained medical professionals and can provide basic first aid and help with referrals for more complex medical needs.

Vechislav tells his story to the medical volunteer and a project visitor.

Vechislav is visibly taller after his visit.