Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry

The department supervises work of more than 3500 church social institutions, projects and initiatives of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of Russia and abroad including more than 70 rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, 29 shelters for pregnant women in need, 40 asylums for old people, more than 70 orthodox asylums for homeless, and it coordinates 300 sisterhoods of mercy.

The goal of the Church Social Work is not to duplicate the system of state social institutions, but to help the state to improve it, to add the spirit of love, faith in action, sacrificial ministry to neighbors, to the society: to offer new technologies, new forms of work.

The Church should inspire the initiative of effective timely help, which aims at returning a person to the society, letting him feel the joy of life.

In Moscow the church shelter "House for mother" was opened in 2013, it provides women with asylum, help of lawyers, psychologists and social workers.

[9] In Russia there are 72 orthodox shelters for homeless with total capacity 1990 of people, 110 large charity canteens, 56 points of delivery of clothes and 12 "buses of mercy".