NEWSLETTER July 2006 Visit "Sponsor a Child" Page!

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Since January, the very moment they were appointed, the new managerial team at "Joseph" Foundation have mainly aimed at the financial "healing" of our foundation. In the past, because of the lack of sufficient funds, as well as on account of the great number of social problems children in our area were forced to face, our managerial decisions had firstly had in view the development of those programs helping children in need and their families. Thus, the payment of foundation’s fiscal debts toward the Romanian state was let on the second plan. Unfortunately, this managerial attitude resulted – along the years – in the accumulation of large budgetary debts, which ended in putting obstacles in our way and in affecting the way our social partners see us. As a consequence, "Joseph" Foundation was not able, as other non-governmental, non-profit organizations, to access public funds in order to develop social programs.

       The new managerial team succeeded in obtaining a better management of our funds, without affecting at all the quality or the diversity of our social assistance programs. Therefore, we are proud to announce you that, only after 6 months of activity of the new team of "Joseph’s", our foundation has no financial debts towards the Romanian state.
       Another important objective of ours is to develop those programs which will best answer and cover the needs and lacks of the social realities in Romania. We aim at adapting our activities in order to face the challenges in the social sector. Our main objective is to find and offer professional solutions in the field of child protection and have the best results. Our previous experience in the field of child protection, the appreciations of our partners, the professional experience of "Joseph" staff and the unity of our team confirm and reinforce our belief in the success of our work.

      "Monitorizing the Happiness" ...
... Visits to the Foster Families

       This month’ visits to the foster families were programmed for the first summer vacation days of the children. In Romania, pupils and students have an about three months summer vacation. As we told you in our previous report, all "Joseph" children in foster families graduated the school year they had attended. Thus, this summer vacation is a very relaxed period of time for them, their main activities being playing, camping, going to trips, and visiting friends. They have told us their vacation plans and we were happy to see they also intend to prepare for the next school year, by reading and doing their vacation homework.

       Seeing these children happy and self-confident means that our job is well done. We intend to remain their best friends, protect and help them grow even stronger and smarter, and hope that one day they will have the power to forgive and forget all the sufferance and abuses they endured.
       These children were blessed to find someone to help, love and understand them, offer them not only a roof and a hot meal, but a "family" as they had seen only in movies. But there are many other children who haven’t been so fortunate. I am talking about the children protected by "Joseph" Foundation through "Sponsor a Child" Program. They are deprived of the elementary right any child has in this world, the right to a normal childhood, when having food, clothes, toys, and love is not a beautiful dream but normality. For them it seems that the rising sun brings no light and warmth, but only announces another day when there is less food, dirty clothes and broken toys.

       It is time for you to help these children, to offer them the chance to a normal chilhood.
       Do it now!
       Visit "Sponsor A Child" web page on our site and find out how you could help them! In July and August you can make donations exclusively for extra-school activities for the children protected within "Sponsor a Child" Program.

       For these children YOUR LITTLE MEANS A LOT!

... Organizing meetings of the children in foster families with their biological parents

       Foster parents system is unanimously considered a "temporary solution for the children in need". All "JOSEPH" team members are aware of this thing and they are trying to find the best solution for the children, an environment proper for their normal physical and psychical development. The ideal environment for the normal growth and development of a child is his biological family. This is the reason why we insist on organizing monthly meetings of the children in foster families with their biological parents.

       We will continue to hope and fight in order to find ways for these children to be reintegrated in their biological families. But, first of all, we want to make sure the biological family can offer the children decent conditions for a normal life and development. We regret each case when natural parents do not succeed in fulfilling these elementary needs of their children, thus the children remaining away from their mother and father, but well taken care of.

      Dawns of Hope ...
... "Sponsor a Child" Program goes on

       The activities carried on within this program were designed to bring comfort to both children and their families and it continues to do so. We remind you that children protected within this program live in extremely poor areas in Iasi County and are in desperate situations and in deep need for help. We regret this program’s insufficient funds have not permitted us to include more children in need in this program.
       We are forced by the many social cases to insist in asking for your help. The waiting list for being protected through this program - a list of sufferance and deprivation - is quite large. Any delay in helping them increases their sufferance!
       Together we could offer a chance for these children!
       This month we were visited by Mrs. Laura Simms – the coordinator of "SHAMBALA KIDS" Program and a very dear partner and sustainer of our "Sponsor a Child" Program. We were extremely happy to see her again, at about 6 months since our collaboration started. She was the first to encourage us on starting this project for children in extremely poor families and the first one who helped us help the others. This meeting offered us the opportunity of thanking her for all her interest and devotion for the children in need. We also discussed about the evolution of this program and sketched long-term ways of development.
       We introduced Laura Simms to children in the Ghetto block (she found sponsors for some of these children) and to their families. She saw by herself the extremely poor living conditions of these children and their desperate need for help, and was impressed by the life-stories of these little beings.

       Laura Simms was the messenger of all those people impressed by the sufferance of these children and willing to help them. For each child and family one thing was clear: they are no longer alone in their sufferance!!! Somebody out there knows their troubles, is thinking of them and is helping them.
       We say "thank you" to all the sponsors and sustainers of "Sponsor a Child" Program in the name of all the children in need in Iasi County. We and the children will not forgive you!
       This month, we send special thanks to Mrs. Helen Lechner for her help and support!

... Assistance for "Joseph" children (who, when "Joseph" House closed, were moved to state institutions)

       Unfortunately, when "Joseph" House closed (because of lack of funds), there were still some children for whom no foster family or no other solution was found. These children were taken by the state and moved to state institutions. But we neither abandoned them nor forgotten about them. Even though they have new leaders and educators now, they have often visited us, asking for advice or support. "JOSEPH" Foundation established as an objective the following of their evolution and assists them continuously. That is why we included them in other programs developed by us.
       We keep in touch with all former "Joseph" children (children who found shelter, safety and love within the walls of "Joseph’ House in its long time of activity). This month, after a long time of separation, sufferance and hopes, we succeeded in reintegrating a former "Joseph" child in his biological family. Although the financial situation of the family is not very good, (the child needs to be protected through "Sponsor a Child" Program), the mother (victim of a domestic abuse) decided to take her child under her care. We sustained her in her decision and now we are helping them overpass the difficulties. The reunified family was given both material support (food, clothes, toys etc.) and psycho-social counseling.

       Even though we have so little material resources, we will never abandon these children!

      New Counselling Program ...
... Psyho-pedagogical counselling of the children

       Last month we announced you of our intention of starting a new psycho-pedagogical counselling program, dedicated to both children in foster families and to children in biological families whose child-parent or child-granparents (the parents work abroad and the children are under their grandparents’ care) relationship is affected. Within this program counselling is also offered to former „Joseph" children.
       Summer is a season proper for planning and starting new activites. The serious social problems children in need have to face forced us to earlier start the activities of this program, even before finalizing its functional framework and the needed materials.
       The utility and urgent necessity of such a program took even us by surprise. We did not even have time to give it a proper name. We are waiting for your suggestions about the best name for this program!.
       The first beneficiaries of this programs are the adolescents, with ages between 14 and 18. Their problems are the problems specific to the adolescence, but there are also identity problems. Between these ages a yongster is being juridically recognized by the state, being given an Identity Card. When a child in a state institution reaches the age of 18, he is considered an adult and can no longer be protected within the state institution unless he or she goes on studying. This makes the situation of these children extremely difficult, because they have no job, no money, no house and no family to help them. This program helps these children by offering them many types of counselling: psychological, educational, social, etc.

       Professional counselling is the one they most urgently need. We already signed some partnership contracts with the organizations which could help the children in this field.

      Against Ignorance ...
... Communitarian Cooperation Activities

       As everywhere else in the world, July and August are vacation months in Romania. This is the reason why we do not intend to sustain any communitarian involvement activity. People have a reduced receptivity to such messages. We will "save" this energy till the fall, when we hope to launch a strong social message which will awaken the public interest toward the problems of children in need.
       Nevertheless, summer months are active as to inter-organizational cooperation. Discussions are held, opinions are exchanged, experiences are shared, connections and cooperation are created.
       This month we had the opportunity of accommodating at "Joseph" House a group of students from Great Britain, accompanied by their leader and coordinator, Sport Teacher Jonathan Williams. They came into Romania to carry on voluntary activities for "Link Romania" Foundation. We are amazed by the enthusiasm and devotion of these children, who came from so far away to help children in need in Iasi.

      The Feted Children of the Month ...
... Celebration of the birthdays

       In order to close our newsletter in a merrier note, we present you our children who celebrated their birthdays in July:



       Within this program we organize the celebration of the birthdays of all the children under our care and protection. Because every child is very important to us, and because they missed many of their own birthdays, we decided to show them, once more, how important they are for the ones around them. We send them presents, join them at their birthday parties, or give them telephone calls to wish them the best and show them they are not forgotten.
       The situation of 3 who celebrated their 18 birthday this month is quite alarming. They are far from being happy and feeling secure. They live in state institutions and being adults by now, they could be forced to live this only roof they have. They have no family, no relatives. We will try to help them as much as we can. They are students, and have good school results.
       We will keep you informed on their situation.

       We could not have done it without your help ...

We want to thank you for your kind answers and encouragement!
They sustain us and give us strength in our day-to-day work.

       If you lost the password or if you want to support children in need from Romania please contact us ...

... at e-mail address: dcornestean2001@yahoo.com ... or send an instant yahoo message!