Welfare issues are also very important to us, since they concern physical survival of our people. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a wave of mass emigration. The majority repatriated to Israel. However, there were also a lot of those, and especially in the past several years, who left to Germany and USA. Due to this the demographic situation raises substantial problems. The majority of those who remain are pensioners, handicapped, unemployed. In addition, the economical crisis in Lithuania strips them off any weighty support from the state, except for minimal pensions, the largest portion of which goes on covering the bills for utilities and heating. Therefore help provided by the Community bears exceptional, vital importance. The Community has prepared a wide scale program of welfare services, that are in the first place provided to the most needy Jews. This program is being constantly developed. Every two months people receive food packages. The poorest can have free hot meals in a canteen. The handicapped receive meals on wheels. A part of pensioners are each month supported by monetary relieves in the amount of 10 USD. On Pesach all pensioners receive 1 kilo of Matzah free of charge (one can buy more in the synagogue). Time to time we receive deliveries of charity clothes.
Since the majority of Jews are elderly, sick people, it is very important to provide them with medical care. The Community affiliates the Medical center Ezra. Volunteer doctors of various specialties give free of charge qualified medical consultations. The fact that patients also receive free of charge medicines is crucial, since medications are very expensive and most of the elderly cannot afford them.

OUR SPONSORS

All these activities would be impossible without generous and continuous support of our sponsors: the American Joint Distribution Committee, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Baltic Jewish Forum, as well as other organizations and individuals. Without their help many members of our Community would be forced to starve.