August 1, 2006

Three truckloads of bedroom furniture donated by the U.S. Military in Germany arrived in Romania at the beginning of July. Worth more than $189,000, the furniture is being distributed to flood victims in Dolj County, disadvantaged families in Iasi, and two sites in Bucharest: the Patriarhul Justinian Marina shelter for victims of domestic violence, and the Sfanta Macrina center for street children.

This morning, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Taubman visited the Sfanta Macrina center to meet the children and staff. Sfanta Macrina is a residential and day center that provides social, educational, medical, and counseling support to street children as well as job counseling for young adults. The center’s executive director, Father Gabriel Cazacu, plans to expand the center to include a shelter for mothers in difficulty, in order to help prevent child abandonment.

Centers such as this “can reduce the rate of child abandonment, as long as the services remain flexible and capable to adapt to the children’s needs,” Ambassador Taubman said. “I know that if we work together, we will find solutions that will allow every child to grow up with the security, love, and hope – with the family he or she needs and deserves.”

Both the Sfanta Macrina center for street children and Patriarhul Justinian Marina are managed by the Diaconia Association, which is affiliated with the Romanian Orthodox Church. Ambassador Taubman was accompanied on his visit by Father Cristian Popa, Vice President and Director of the Diaconia Association, and by Vicar Bishop Ciprian Campineanu, Counselor to the Patriarch.

The U.S. Military frequently responds to humanitarian needs, with support from the U.S. Embassy, USAID, and others. In 2004, through the auspices of the Office of Defense Coordination’s Limited Excess Property Program (LEPP), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) distributed goods donated by the Military in the amount of $1,764,355 to needy communities, institutions, schools, and other recipients in Romania. Last year, LEPP and USAID distributed flood relief supplies including beds, mattresses, water containers, and generators to communities in need through the Limited Excess Property Program. Earlier this year, the U.S. Military also sent a donation of furniture and medical supplies to Romanian health care clinics.

For more information, please contact:
Ecaterina Vasile, Project Management Specialist, USAID
Tel: 021 316 1222

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1 August 2006

GUVERNUL S.U.A. DONEAZA MOBILIER VICTIMELOR INUNDATIILOR SI CENTRELOR PENTRU COPII

Trei transporturi cu mobilier donat de baza americana din Germania au ajuns in Romania la inceputul lunii iulie. Mobilierul, in valoare de peste 189 000 de dolari este destinat victimelor inundatiilor din judetul Dolj, familiilor nevoiase din Iasi, precum si centrului pentru victimele violentei casnice “Patriarhul Iustian Marina” si centrului pentru copiii strazii “Sfanta Macrina”.

In aceasta dimineata, Ambasadorul american Nicholas Taubman, a vizitat centrul “Sfanta Macrina” pentru a se intalni cu copiii si personalul care lucreaza in acest centru. “Sfanta Macrina” este un centru care ii adaposteste pe copiii strazii si care le acorda consilere sociala, educationala si medicala. De aseemena, pentru tineri, personalul acorda consilere in vederea obtinerii unei slujbe. Directorul acestui centru, Parintele Gabriel Cazacu, a inceput lucrarile de extindere a centrului pentru a include si un adapost pentru mamele aflate in dificultate in scopul prevenirii abandonului copiilor.

Centrele de acest gen “pot reduce rata abandonului copiilor atata vreme cat serviciile pe care le ofera raman flexibile si sunt capabile sa se adapteze nevoilor copiilor” a spus ambasadorul Taubman. Domnia sa a continuat: “Stiu ca lucrand impreuna, vom gasi solutii care sa permita fiecarui copil sa creasca intr-un mediu care sa-i asigure stabilitatea, dragostea si speranta, in cadrul unei familii de care are nevoie si pe care o merita”.

Atat “Sfanta Macrina” cat si “Patriarhul Justinian Marina” sunt patronate de Asociatia Diaconia, asociatie afiliata Bisericii Ortodoxe Romane. In aceasta vizita, Ambasadorul Taubman a fost insotit de Parintele Cristian Popa, vicepresedintele si directorul Asociatiei Diaconia si de Episcopul Vicar Ciprian Campinenanu, consilier al Patriarhiei.

Armata S.U.A., cu sprijinul Ambasadei S.U.A., al Agentiei pentru Dezvoltare Internationala (USAID) si altor organizatii raspunde frecvent nevoilor umanitare. In anul 2004, cu sprijinul Programului pentru Distributia Ajutorului Umanitar al Biroului de Coordonare al Apararii, USAID a distribuit bunuri, in valoare de peste 1.764.355 dolari, donate de armata Americana unor comunitati nevoiase, institutii, scoli si alte organizatii din Romania. Anul trecut, cu sprijinul acestui program si al USAID, s-au distribuit sinistratilor din zonele afectate de inundatii bunuri de prima necesitate, cum ar fi paturi, saltele, containere pentru apa si generatoare. La inceputul acestui an, armata americana a donat mobilier, instrumentar medical si consumabile unor policlinici din Romania.

Pentru mai multe informatii contactati:
Ecaterina Vasile, Specialist Coordonator de Programe, USAID
Tel: 021- 316 1222