The first two months of this year were dedicated to organizing the work in our program :
- elaborating and planning the activities involved in assisting the elderly during 2008, selecting the assisted persons, planning the cases
- elaborating the necessary tools of our work : social inquieries, personal papers, questionnaires, evaluation papers, collaboration contracts, and all kinds of papers needed for creating the initial frame for our work.
We also chose the themes to be discussed at the support group meetings, reviewed our volunteer list and established the dates of meeting with them.
The persons we assist are old, ill, lonely and poor, some of them being immobilized. Therefore they need our help to overcome the difficulties they are facing (loneliness, depression, deprivation, physical pain, emotional pain caused by the lack of comfort and love etc).
We have started the new year taking care of eleven persons, until the death of Mrs. Ana Stefan. Afterwards we were left with only ten ladies to whom we provide full-services (8 of them) and partial-services (2 of them). The project is accomplished by one person, helped by volunteers.
I would like to "mark" your memory by letting the pictures speak more than words, about our work, which hopefully will bring some comfort in these hearts and some light on these sad and wrinkled faces.

Monthly shoppings at Billa are a real help for all our old ladies, but especially for those who can't go out.

Delivering the products to their homes - thanks to God, this way we provide their daily food, which they couldn't afford out of their pension.

Emotional-spiritual support - at their request, we read the Bible for them, talk to them and pray for them.

Celebrating their birthdays - brought comfort and joy in their hearts.

Companionship - it is the time we spend especially with those who are immobilized, like Mrs. Elisabeta, or those in recovery.

Going to cafeteria or walking in the park make them forget about their loneliness and bring them joy even if it is only for a few hours, as Mrs. Margareta confessed.

Celebrating the 8th of March - an event they are looking forward...

Visiting them at the hospital - for Mrs. Varvara, who is suffering of liver cirrhosis, that is a proof that she is not alone in this world.

Material-financial aid for Mrs. Palfi Elisabeta, which means building a door inside her home, in collaboration with HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, as well as giving her a bedding made of wool, in order to protect her against de coldness in her room.

For Mrs. Bercean - a washing machine to facilitate her work, which was carried to her home by our volunteers, Robi and Ionel.

Taking Mrs. Lazar to the doctor (for eye consultation and treatment)

Other services were performed for Mrs. Gall Susana, who is very ill (suffering of schizophrenia); she was taken to many institutions in this area. Also, for Lazar Magdalena, Bartha Varvara, Cristea Irina, Bercean Margareta, Palfi Elisabeta (we helped them with their health condition, offered material-financial and relationship support).

In my work I've been helped by our volunteers, who have already developed a special relationship with our ladies, visiting them from time to time, and I would like to thank these young people for their effort and dedication.

Other services performed during this period for our assisted persons were : paying the bills, cleaning the house, getting the prescriptions from de doctor, buying the medicine from the farmacy, outdoor walkings, weekly shoppings.

Paper work - that requires a lot of time, involving the donation papers, paying orders, monthly reports for City Hall, monthly budget, monthly deduction (that justifies our spendings with the cases) and editing the reports, the newsletters, the announcements and all kinds of papers that show our work or the lifestyle of our beneficiars.
I'd like to give thanks to all those who, one way or another, have involved in our work and helped us to improve the life of these "lonely creatures", make them forget about their loneliness and suffering and get them to know God and trust in Him.

Proverbs 22:9 : "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor"

Program co-ordinator : Rodica Rusu