In October we received a large consignment of surplus school uniforms, passed on to us by a charity in the UK. Whilst some urban schools in Romania do have formal uniforms, most of the schools in rural areas do not, and these clothes will be valued by families in those areas. They will also be donated to other families for use as casual clothing. Once again we are grateful for these donations and for the supporters who continue to prepare the items for dispatch.
The future of the warehouse and the land around it is still under discussion but progress is slow. Current thinking is that we could divide the land into smaller plots which would sell more easily but access constraints need to be resolved. A plan of the current ownerships is here. This year the land has produced good crops. The sunflowers were harvested for us by a local farmer and they will be pressed for oil for donation whilst a glut of apples will allow us not only to share the fruit itself but also to have the surplus pressed into juice for preservation.
It is with sadness that we heard of the passing of Gheorghe Mirauta aged 85. Ghita’s skills as a master builder were central to the construction of Casa Neemia and the buildings at the Centre of Hope in Dorohoi; he was also involved in many of the housing redevelopment projects that the two charities have undertaken. His legacy lives on in that two of his sons now manage the respective charities.
Some rural kindergartens have enrolled in an EU initiative to prepare younger children for the experience of being away from home and learning to socialise with other children. It is essentially a play-school where the various ages mix and includes a meal and a rest break. We have provided some knitted blankets and various other materials.
We have continued to collect short-time food items from a supermarket in Darabani; these items typically have a shelf value of some £5,000 each month. The food is donated to visitors to the office, some 10-15 recipients per day. During October we were invited to recommence collections from a second branch; we have previously collected from this store but another charity joined the scheme for a year. The additional food will allow us to help more people and, since we already have the necessary procedures in place, the additional work involved will not be as great as starting from scratch.
This Month’s Featured Photos
Georghe Mirauta, 1940-2025: well-earned refreshment … at casa Neemia … at Iezer
From the warehouse grounds: raining sunflower seeds … bagging the harvest … picking the fruit
Packing: a bulk delivery … a busy team … comfortable beneficiaries
This Month’s Prayer Notes
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Link to this month’s Prayer Notes
