Feeding your neighbor’s soul does not always require big efforts. It is enough to be open to others and walk the first steps with a lot of faith.

Devora and David are two unusual Bulgarians, just like their names. Each week the young couple brings hot food to the pensioners club situated in Sofia’s Mladost residential district. Moreover, they share with the elderly people their homemade food.

It is quite natural to help others and everyone should do that and take care of a group of people or at least one person, Devora told Radio Bulgaria. We chose to help those elderly Bulgarians, because that need springs from our hearts. That is why I believe that all of us should find someone to take care of and love.

When Devora Kovacheva and David Krumov met the elderly people for the first time they read in their eyes the huge need to talk to someone. The pensioners greeted Devora and David with applause, hugs, thankfulness and tears in their eyes. Devora and David have been meeting with the elderly people for five months now.

We named our initiative Shared Table, because we sit around that table not only to eat, but also to share our stories, dreams and experience, says Devora. The elderly people from the pensioners club also tell us their stories which make them feel valuable and important. Many of them live alone and others have no children or grandchildren. Some of them, however, are alone, because their descendants left the country. And suddenly these people meet with some young Bulgarians who share with them their food, thoughts and feelings. That is why these meetings are so special to them. They need attention more than food and we took that into account.

Devora and David are also people of art. She plays the harp and studies at the National Music Academy and David studies acting at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA). They met several years ago. Devora and David strengthened their faith in eternal love when they met an elderly couple at the pensioners club.

This elderly couple literally went through everything in life-the man is not in a very good health now, but his wife is still in decent shape and is taking good care of him. They love and respect one another a lot. Although they have been living together for over 50 years they continue to share everything and appreciate one another. I was impressed by their story a lot, because nowadays many people say love does not last forever and at one point of your life you meet someone else. However, we are young and believe in eternal and true love and that elderly family proved that and encouraged us a lot.

As we prepare to leave this life, we will be judged on the basis on love, the Holy Scripture says. Devora and David bear that gift in their hearts and dream of loving one another forever. They also want to leave a permanent mark in other peoples’ lives.

We grew up in Christian families and we were taught to believe in good and do good things, Devora went on to say. My parents always taught me to outstretch my hand to others and live to help other people, too. Moreover, they showed me how to do that. I grew up in that environment and one day I realized that all of us should help others.

You can find Devora and David in Facebook if you want to share your supper with lonely elderly people. We end our story with a quote by Pope Francis: ”We must become good neighbors to any person in need.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov