PLEASE excuse me for any inconvenience caused by this message.

My name is Valentin. I am 18 years old. I live with my mother in the city of Kaluga, Russia. It is located 200 kilometres south of Moscow. I grew up without a father. He left when I was two years old. My mother was forced to take care of me without my father. She worked at two places at once in order to earn the necessary money to feed me and pay for my education.

Now my mother is an invalid because she lost her health and sight working at the heavy works. She receives a pension -- very rare from the government -- which is not enough even for supporting us.

I have graduated from two schools -- an educational school I attended for 10 years and a music school for seven. I'm very thankful to my mother for her efforts. My education allows me to play piano quite well and speak English.

Now I take care of my family alone. I go to our local forest two times a week in order to collect cones and acorns. I make a flour from them and, using this flour, my mother cooks good cakes. We eat it every day -- that is why we are still alive.

Unfortunately the winter is setting in and cones and acorns will not be available in the forest. I'm very afraid and do not know what we could eat afterwards. The only chance we have to survive is to use free public access to the internet to appeal to you directly for help -- we desperately need food and warm clothing.

If you have very old clothes from your grandparents and parents which you do not use any more, as well as anything that is possible to eat, I would be very happy if you could send it to our address.

I hope very much that you can help my family to survive during this winter. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2001. God Bless You.

Valentin Mikhaylin

Ryleeva Street, 6-45

Kaluga, 248030

Russia

valya@userline.ru