LUPENI ORPHANAGE
(Contacts: Chris VASILE, Educator / Mircea URSU, Pastor)
Humanitarian Association – Childrens’ Home
Str. Lapusneanu, Nr.1
Loc. Lupeni,
Jud. Hunedoara 335600
Telephone: + 4-0 254 561 761 – Association
Founded in 1994 by the Christian Baptist Church Lupeni. A care home providing training for those children with difficulties, having assistance from each child’s family who needed to send them to an institution. (17.000 unemployed in the six villages) The home assures 100 meals a day and is certified by the Child Protection of Hunedoara and medical functioning authorisation and these costs rely on sponsorship and donations.
For a number of years TFR has administered the sponsorship of one of the girls at the Baptist Orphanage in Lupeni and visits often made when a Task Force is working elsewhere in Romania. Musical instruments have been collected and given to children and the orphanage is included in the usual Christmas gift distribution to the many TFR projects.
Through TFR, Godalming Baptist Church took an active role in sponsorship which continues today.
* Sponsorship Scheme
VARMAGA CASA HARULUI (Home of Grace)
Asociatia de Caritate
(Contacts: Beniamin & Maria MEDREA, Administrators)
2728 Sat. Varmaga 143
DEVA 2. Jud. Hunedoara
Tel: 0040 (0) 722 816 788
In May 2000 a TFR Task Force of 10 men in a 15-seater Mini Bus, made their first working visit to help the young family Medrea to realise their great vision. They intended to provide education and respite care each week to 30/40 deprived and disabled children. Five miles up in the Carpathian hills, totally isolated in the winter and existing on one outside loo, with the only washing facility being direct from the well they had dug 90feet deep.
By the time the TFR volunteers left for UK, they had a finished building with a dormitory for 15 girls, three indoor toilets with soak-away to a huge septic tank; three wash basins and two showers all with running cold water. The floors and walls were tiled throughout the washroom – paradise !
With two or three teams going out to Varmaga each year thereafter, TFR have now provided a separate Boys’ Chalet, Dining & Service Block, all with Wash Rooms. Central heating throughout with solar panels to save ongoing fuel costs.
Beds for all the sleeping quarters were made by the ‘Street Boys’ at Folt (Twinning projects).
Casa Harului was rounded off with a wonderful central garden designed for wheelchairs and all involved in the whole project celebrated in October 2003 when representatives from British Embassy and others from around the world attended it’s official dedication ceremony.
Brochure No.5 available: ‘Building Of Casa Harului’
Brochure No.6 available: ‘Innovations At Casa Harului’
* Sponsorship Scheme
HUNEDOARA - CENTRUL CRESTIN BETLEEM (Bethlehem Christian Centre)
Associatia Umanitara Betel
(Contacts: Corneliu & Diana MEDREA, Administrators)
Strada Trandafirilor Nr 18.
HUNEDOARA Cod. 332016
Telephone: 0040 (0) 254 215 935
In June 2004 15 TFR men spent two weeks working on the building , having given financial support in the early stages to turn the two floor derelict old school into a three storey centre no longer leaking and ready for the working party.
The building was transformed in that short time with plumbers installing three new boilers, many toilets, showers with washing facilities; and a half mile of copper piping to 39 radiators. Whilst this went on the electricians used one and a half miles of wiring to provide the building with all the lighting and power points needed.
The Bethlehem Centre is well placed in the middle the old steel manufacturing town of Hunedoara with a 60% unemployment rate. The Centre now operates a ‘Bread Of Life’ service, Family Care, and education to help young people find work.
The Centre is the hub for 30 individual clubs around Romania with a total attendance of some 800 children.
In October 2005 22 TFR volunteers were privileged to help with the arrangements and join with 300 others to attend the final Dedication Ceremony,
Brochure No.7 available: ‘TFR Start Work @ Bethlehem Centre’
Brochure No.8 available: ‘The Bethlehem Centre Projects’
* Sponsorship Scheme
BARSAU 'LactoBeni' CREAMERY
SC LACTOBENI SRL
(Contact: Beniamin MEDREA)
Com Harau, Sat Barsau Nr.48
Jud. Hunedoara
Telephone: 0040 (0) 722 816 788
Many of the poor children who visit Casa Harului come from extreme poverty and are unable to contribute to the cost of their holiday. Rather than continue to depend upon generous support from groups in UK to make up the cost a decision was mad in 2003 for the Complex to become self supporting in every way.
In the many small villages around this very rural area families own their own cow. There is an excess of milk that can be collected for the new project which will inturn be a huge benefit to both the villagers and to the running cost of Casa Harului.
A small property was purchased in the hamlet of Barsau a few miles away from the complex and TFR undertook to raise funds and assist in the huge task of conversion and the building of a production unit for the processing of both milk and cheese.
In October 2004 a team of TFR volunteers fitted out the shell structures and installed solar heating panels the following Spring. When time to return to UK TFR Trustees were able to leave funding for local workers to continue building.
Having assisted physically the result of the three visits means that the well water is now stored in tanks, hot and cold water is ‘on tap’ there are plasterboard partitions with tiling and all main services of electricity have been installed.
The major step forward now is to acquire and install all the necessary equipment which LactoBeni in conjunction with TFR have outlined in the business plan, once sufficient funding is available.
Brochure No.11 available: ‘The Casa Harului Creamery’