The Romanian Aid Foundation & Asociatia Neemia

Following a satisfactory delivery to Romania and the lifting of many COVID restrictions in the UK the Horley team has been able to resume our Friday afternoon sessions at Horley Baptist Church and the Saturday activities at our Billingshurst warehouse. Some precautions may still apply, at least for the immediate future, including the number of people that can meet in the church building. There have been some revisions to the type of items that we can accept at present in order to comply with current import limitations – details on our website.

July was a quiet month for donations but once the lorry arrived mid-month the rate of donations has returned to a more normal level. There were some 180 separate donations during August, many of which consist of more than one item. The most popular items are clothing, footwear, toys and, when available, food. We have been able to help a number of elderly people with crutches but there is a shortage of zimmer frames at present.

Anti-COVID restrictions have been relaxed somewhat, at least for the time being, and in most situations the use of masks and sanitizers is a personal choice. However, in the office we have continued to retain a high level of social distancing – the current weather allows us to ask visitors to wait outside and their goods are passed across the office threshold. This policy will have to be reviewed once the inclement winter weather returns. There is some official concern about a resurgence of COVID as the new school year begins and it remains to be seen whether there will be a re-introduction of health measures during the late autumn.

Once again we have received donations of both food and furniture from local sources. We are happy to use our team’s experience to distribute these items in a way that the original donors cannot do.

At Casa Neemia, the polytunnel has again produced a bountiful crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. These will be preserved as in previous years and will supplement the residents’ diet during the winter. We anticipate a good crop of potatoes from the land there and the sunflower crop at the warehouse also looks promising. The seeds will be pressed and the oil donated to our regular families later in the year.

This month’s photos feature Warehouse Activities

• Unloading packed boxes
• Weighing and labelling
• Stacking pallets ready for loading

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, August 2021