A resident of Canada arrived in Vitebsk with gifts for young patients of the regional children's hospital
Mostly, tourists come to a city to see its local attractions, traditions, and way of life. However, Canadian John Yungblut (pictured) crossed the ocean and arrived in Vitebsk on a private visit, not only to discover a new spot on the map but also to provide volunteer assistance. He visited the young patients of the neurology department of the Vitebsk Children's Regional Clinical Hospital, spending several hours communicating with them. The children met the foreign guest with interest, and the older boys even played a game of checkers with him. As a memento of his visit, John donated new toys to the institution, as well as an LCD TV for the playroom.
Interestingly, until very recently, this Canadian, as he himself admitted, did not know about the existence of Vitebsk at all. He learned about the city on the Daugava River from locals he met while traveling in different countries. John wanted to see a new place and, at the same time, help those in need. The choice of a children's medical institution was not accidental: Mr. Yungblut has two sons and a daughter, and as a father, he knows how important health and attention are for a child.
The foreigner plans to visit the Vitebsk region next year to visit the children with gifts again, and also, possibly, to provide assistance to an animal shelter for homeless animals, which he also visited during his trip.
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You don't have to be rich or famous to help people", – is convinced John, an engineer by profession. His parents, who were also involved in charity work in their time, taught him to do good in the world. In addition, the foreign guest said that the volunteer movement is highly developed in his homeland. For example, university students are required to complete 100 hours of volunteer work over three years; without this practice of good deeds, they will not receive their diplomas. Coordination centers are widespread in Canada, where information and contacts of volunteers who can help with something are accumulated. John believes that it would be good to organize a similar form of volunteer work in Belarus, particularly in Vitebsk, which he is ready to facilitate when he visits the northern capital next time.Natalia Ryzhkova, "Vitebskie vesti"