We have continued to receive healthy donations of clothing, bedding and other items, certainly enough to keep our packing teams occupied. We are working towards sending another consignment to Romania, probably in November. Once again, this will comprise a mixed load from Horley and from our team in south Wales.
In Romania we continue to help people in difficult circumstances but the level of desperation is not what it when we started thirty years ago. In previous years the main items for donation were clothing, bedding, household good and medical items. Now the short-time food from a local supermarket forms the major part of what we donate, certainly in terms of value. As circumstances change, the leaders of the two charities continue to review the focus of our activities, seeking to balance the available resources against the needs and opportunities.
With your help, in September we were able to distribute clothing and other items to over 200 people in Dorohoi and district; the average donation this month had a value of £5, giving a total of approximately £1,000. In addition we received short-dated food with a total retail value of around £4,400 from a local supermarket. Donation of this food is strictly monitored so that it does not compromise the trader’s normal sales.
As the war in Ukraine progresses to different areas so we receive more requests from people seeking a place of refuge. Some of our earlier guests have moved on to more permanent places and so we are able to continue to help others in this way.
The autumn season is upon us now, the distinctive colours are appearing even if the weather remains unseasonably warm. Now too is the time to start preparing for winter. One such preparation is the harvesting of the crops from our land; the maize crop was not good due to the lack of rain but good quantities of potatoes and other vegetables have been harvested at Casa Neemia. The current residents at Casa Neemia have been busy, harvesting and preserving the crops that they have grown together. In addition to a good quantity of potatoes they have also prepared a nutritious blend of tomatoes and peppers which will be a tasty addition to winter meals. One popular way of preserving our vegetables is shown in the photos below.
We are pleased to report that our old VW van has once again passed its annual technical inspection. At 23 years old it is not surprising that it requires a degree of ‘tender loving care’ but, despite that, it has continued to serve us well.
From time to time we receive visits from supporters who want to come and see for themselves how RoAF and AN are helping. These visits are encouraging, both for our team and for the people we help.
This month’s featured photos
Winter warmer: Tomatoes and peppers … Sterilisation … Bon appetit!
Encouraging visits: with Marcel … with Nicoleta … with Nadia
Last month’s statistics
| Categories | September 2024 |
Same month last year |
% Change year on year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Beneficiaries: joiners / leavers | 5 / 43 | 19 / 34 | |
| Beneficiaries this month: | 141 | 181 | -22% |
| Number of Donations: | 203 | 214 | -5% |
| Total Value of Donations: (£ equivalent) | £862 | £3,254 | -74% |
| Exchange Rate, RON to GBP | 5·9191 | 5·7636 | 3% |
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, September, 2024
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