RoAF in Horley has the long-term use of a van for local transport; this vehicle has been loaned to us by one of our team in Horley, We are pleased to report that it has passed its annual technical test and will serve us for another year. Our team in south Wales also has the use of a van and we are very grateful to those who have provided these vehicles.
In Horley we have a 24-hr collection box in the car park at St Francis Church. After 20+ years the first version of the box has finally deteriorated past the point of recovery so two of our team have installed a replacement box. We are grateful to the church for hosting this box and we ask those who use this box to avoid doing so during the church service times.
In May of this year the mainly centre-left coalition government in Romania collapsed, leaving the previous prime-minister without a mandate to govern. He is remaining in post pending the formation of a new government but many attempts to date have been unsuccessful. It seems possible that the stalemate may be resolved only by the acceptance of a right-wing pro-Russian party in a new government. This has significant implications for our Ukrainian evacuees; their presence in Romania may become less welcome at an official level. However, we continue to provide accommodation for ten Ukrainian guests at Casa Neemia, alongside a similar number of young Romanians who would otherwise be homeless.
During this year incursions by military drones into Romanian airspace have continued. Recently one was seen passing overhead some 100 metres from our warehouse near Dorohoi. A sense of insecurity could discourage investments and employment in this area, adding to local hardship.
Romania was once prized for its oil and gas resources but even locally sourced fuel is governed by world trading obligations and is priced accordingly. Similarly, costs for utilities and local government services continue to rise, leaving many people with less to spend on discretionary items. This has had an adverse effect on the income from our shop. On the positive side, we have continued to receive clothing and other items from local sources as well as our UK partners, plus we have distributed food from the daily food collections; the value in September exceeded £8,800. Together this means that we can still offer some help to people in need.
This Month’s Featured Photos
Produce from Casa Neemia: Preparing peppers … Five-a-day … Preserved for winter meals
Collecting Clothing: Reggie ready for duty … A collection of items … Drop-box at St Francis Church
This month’s activities: A cot and a mattress … Preparing for winter … The end of the harvest
This Month’s Prayer Notes
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Link to this month’s Prayer Notes
