REPORT ON TABITHA BULGARIA FOUNDATION’ S CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN 2018
HUGE THANKS TO OUR DONORS!
As always we are indebted to our donors, volunteers and fans for their kind understanding and commitment to the underprivileged children in the Eve of Christmas .Thanks to their support we made many children and elderly happy and radiant for the Christmas season. More than 15-20 social institutions with over 500 children and 100 low-income senior people (from Roman and the region) received presents, parties and warm food for Christmas and New Year.
PROMOTIE Foundation G.O.A.L.Inc (UK) CORAWILL Inc.(US)
Every Christmas, in the last 9-10 years we have received generous financial support from Stitching Promoties (NL) which has held the Bulgarian children’s fate at heart. Without their concern and help we would not have been able to launch the Christmas campaign to all the institutions we work with. As always we are grateful to Maarten Koel for his commitment to the needs of the children in Bulgaria. The money was managed through Stichting Kindertehuizen Bulgarije “geloof, hoop&liefde (NL) and we appreciated the personal involvement of Mrs. Agnes van Uchelen in the project.
We also want to thank G.O.A.L. Inc (UK) and the active role of Jody Kerr and her supporters’ fundraising initiative which also provided additional Chrismas money for 4 homes(, Pleven, Roman, Dren and Samokov). We would like to aknowlege the many-year dedication and financial help from Orphan appeal’s charity (Ireland), specially of Catherine Barkley’s, her wonderful sisters Miriam and Betty and her group of children, relatives, friends and colleagues at Christmas, which made the children in Roman very happy. We received a generous lump sum from Corawill Inc and its wonderful president Jeannie Hatcherson.The staff from the Bank supervision of BNB with the active role of Borjana did not forget about r the children Tabitha cares for and donated clothes and a lump sum for their needs (new chairs and voucher for school supplies, notebooks, pens, drawing pads, colour pencils).
On December 15, 2018, on the initiative of Rotaract Sofia-Serdika and Rotaract Sofia – donations at the Hit Hypermarket were collected. An opportunity was given to the people of Sofia to get involved with charity and to make donations for disadvantaged children, brought up in social institutions by purchasing food, treats, cans, and staple products.
Thanks to the event and the good hearts of the people, many products were collected, which Tabitha Bulgaria Foundation distributed and delivered to a number of social institutions in the country. Social homes and centres in which London Rotary Club and Rotary Sofia Serdika have a joint “Baba and grandchild” project were donated with priority. The young people of both Rotaract Clubs helped to sort and load the products at Tabitha’s office. The sympathy and the good will of the people to help at the Eve of Christmas warmed the hearts of many underprivileged children.
Rotaract Sofia Serdica collected and sorted out the donated goods which Tabitha distributed.
At Christmas we enjoyed the support of Lisan Kusse , a Dutch volunteer who works in Sofia, her family, friends and colleagues from EUROCCOR. They took into consideration the letters, sent by the children from the social homes in Stara Zagora (DDLRG “T.Popova”) and Samokov Social Centre. The children had requested St. Clause for their dream presents which Lisan and her group provided for them. Eventually she travelled with us to both social homes and gave the presents to the kids herself.
Lisan with her collgues from EUROCCOR. The happy kids with presents. The kids made Lisan a presnt
Tabitha Foundation also appreciated the great New Year’s initiative of Ivan and Philip Matov and their friends who collected money at their New Year’s party and will provide an electric piano for Iso Ljubenov, an orphan who grew up in the orphanage in Gorski Senovets. He got a Bachelor degree at Sofia Conservatoire and now is making his Master in Jazz and Pop Singing. Thanks to their fund-raising and with the generous contributiont of Lisa and George Freij we made Ito’s dream come true. He just got his own electric piano.
Money collected by Ivan, Philip & friends’ imitative Lisa and George Friej Izo Ljubenov
We are grateful for the personal involvement of our families and friends who gave us a hand in packing the presents for the homes. Special acknowledgement to our volunteers Iliana, Svetla, Maria, Nana, Ljuba, Philip and Belayer Ltd, Ina and Tsveti, who helped us make it through the Christmas campaign in December 2018.
Our volunteers
We also received kind donations from friends and family which will provide for the urgent needs of the children in the social institutions from:
Maria and Joe Eileen&Toni Reagan Lindey Margarita and her family
Like every year in the last five years we received a generous donation from the Foundation MAX Maakt Mogelijk (NL) for the old people with low income in the town of Roman and the region through “Tabitha Netherlands” and the personal commitment of Rients Boiten. It allowed us to provide for 50 retired people winter packages with staple food: cooking oil, rice, beans, lentils, sugar, instant soups, macaroni, biscuits, waffles and 2 m³ fire-wood per person.
The celebration was preceded by a lot of shopping and making of winter packages.
The elder children from the Roman social institution helped us make and distribute the winter packages. The misery in which the old people live is heartbreaking; their low incomes do not allow them to enjoy their old age. The people were moved by the generous donation because it would help them make it through the winter.
Winter packages and wood for 50 destitute retired people in Roman and the region.
This Christmas MAX foundation also transferred money for a Christmas party for the elderly. We organized a feast for 70 old people in Roman, including all the destitute people from the soup kitchen. The kids from the orphanage performed at the party. The mayor of Roman attended the elder people’s Christmas party to pay them respect. We made presents for all the people and also gave salami to the poorest old people
The elderly enjoyed the good food, the presents and the wonderful atmosphere.
Thanks to PROMOTIE FOUNDATION (NL) we provided Christmas presents for all social institutions Tabitha Foundation works with. Some of the institutions got additional donations from other Tabitha’s partners.
BOTEVGRAD CENTRES OF ACCOMMODATION OF A FAMILY TYPE – there are 22 children and adults, aged 6-25, some with serious mental and physical disabilities. We brought them food for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and sweets.
Santa Claus cheers up the Christmas season at the Centre with nice presents!
DREN – Home for children deprived of parental cares “Joy” – 22 children, aged 4- 17 years. We provided presents of their choice and chocolates so the kids were really excited. With the support of G.O.A.L. we brought them food for the Christmas and the New Year’s Eve. We also gave presents to our babas there.
The children had a very good program but the dream presents were the most exciting part.
DUPNITSA SOCIAL HOMES – 36 children and adults 7- 19 years of age: the Centre for accommodation of a family type for children with disabilities and the Home for children deprived of parental cares. We provided for them presents and food for the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, and some chocolates. The homes received goods from the Rotaract campaign in Hit supermarket.
The children performed the birth of Christ. They were happy with the presents we gave them and the food, provided by Rotaract.
GORSKI SENOVETS –Day care centre for 25 handicapped children and young adults “Small Sun” –, aged 8-21, with serious disabilities. The children were very excited to participate in the Christmas party and welcomed St. Clause who brought them presents. We also bought them electrical angle grinder to use it in their vocational training.
St. Clause brought presents. The Koledari danced. The children sang songs and enjoyed the presents.
MEZDRA – Complex for children with mental and physical disabilities (55 children and adults, age 4-25, accommodated in 3 Centres, a protected house for 6 young people and transitional home for 10 adolescents. We bought them presents, fruits and some chocolates. We also provided 100 presents for underprivileged children in a kindergarten and 40 presents for the children from the gypsy quarter. Another 30 presents were given to the destitute children from Moravitsa village’s kindergarten.
Gypsy kids got presents along with many underprivileged children, and children from social centres.
PLEVEN – Home for medico-social cares (80 kids, 0 – 4,5 years, more than 70% of them bed-ridden or with serious mental and physical problems. The party was attended by St. Clause who distributed toys, sweets, and chocolates to the kids. G.O.A.L. Inc provided also money for milk, needed baby’s development, formula resulting from 40 years of breast milk research. W also e bought Infantrini, for feeding infants with faltering growth. The home cannot afford to buy these products which are of great importance for the growth of the children.
The kids enjoy the Christmas party. We bought the kids presents and special adapted milk.
ROMAN – Centre for social services for children and families “N.Vaptzarov” (5 Centres for accommodation of a family type and a transitional apartment for young people who are due to leave the institution, 88 children, 35 with disabilities) and 28 children from the Day Care Centre. Thanks to our friends from t Irish Orphan Appeal we organized a wonderful Christmas party for all children and the staff in a nice restaurant in Mezdra (30 km from Roman) like every year. It was a day out of the institution and the children enjoyed every minute of it. The kids looked smart, well dressed with new clothes and they enjoyed the food in the restaurant. The children surprised us with great performances. All expenses for the party, DJ, transport and the Christmas presents were covered. We also made the children wonderful presents and sweets bags. Our donors from G.O.A.L. provided food for Christmas and New Year’s Eve diners. The Irish donors bought them new warm jackets.
Lots of presents! Delicious food ! A new TV set
Dances, presents and food for the Christmas and New Year’s Eves.
SAMOKOV CENTRE FOR ACCOMMODATION OF A FAMILY TYPE. – 14 children, aged 9-16 years. We brought them presents and cosmetics. They not only performed for us but had cooked pizza and Charismas cookies to treat us.
The kids performed for us. Happy children with presents Lisan also got a present
STARA ZAGORA – Home for children deprived of parental cares “THEOPHANO POPOVA” Home (14 children, age 9-18, few of them with mental problems). The children had prepared a wonderful Christmas program with Bulgarian Christmas traditions, dances, and songs. Lisan and her friends had prepared the dream presents of the children and they were very happy.We provided fruits, food and refreshments for the Christmas holidays. We also brought the products from the joint Program between Rotaract and Hit supermarket. Our friends from Cardiff also attended the party and brought more presents to the children.
Performing Receiving presents
Shelter house in Sofia for adult girls, managed by Star of Hope Foundation. The flat is accommodated by young girls from Roman and Doganovo social institutions which Tabitha has supported. We provide scholarships to the students, job opportunities and some financial aid to live on.
Food was provided and they prepared nice meals for Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
VRATSA HOME for children deprived of parental cares ”Assen Zlatarov” ( 24 children, aged 6-19, few with mild mental problems). The Christmas party was organized in their home with a thorough preparation and the children enjoyed the party very much. We brought them underwear, socks and chocolates.
Delicious Christmas diner! With presents and dances!
VRATZA SOCIAL COMPLEX, consisting of 3 Centres for accommodation for disabled children – 42 children and adults, aged 6 – to over 25 years. We provided food and presents for all of them. The children were happy and enjoyed the party for Christmas. Though some were in invalid chairs they were also included in the celebration. Thanks to their baba the children performed songs.
Enjoying the party! Thanks to the baba – children’re performing! Food for all!
HAPPY CHILDREN WITH MANY PRESENTS
MANY PRESENTS, RADIANT FACES, HAPPY CHILDREN!
THANKS LETTERS FROM THE SOCIAL HOMES
MANY THANKS TO ALL DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR CONCERN, UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT.THEY HELPED THE UNDERPRIVILAGED CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE ENJOY THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!
TABITHA BULGARIA FOUNDATION IS LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER COOPERATION IN
2018 FOR THE SAKE OF THE LESS FORTUNATE!
TABITHA BULGARIA TEAM
/ALBENA & GEORGE/