newsletter January 2020
successful Christmas shoebox trip
Happy New Year to all.
TEECH volunteers have just finished celebrating their second Christmas of 2019, having celebrated in the UK before heading off on the two week trip to Romania and Moldova, and again on the 7th January when the Moldovans celebrate. The team of 9 from England and Scotland, took over 2,200 shoebox gifts and 200 food parcels, all of which were hand delivered to families, schools and the elderly. The weather was kinder this year, with only small amounts of snow causing icy conditions.
Over 16 villages were visited, sometimes with the team splitting up to ensure everything could be delivered. Walking down tracks where vehicles could not go and getting pretty muddy! Volunteers therefore saw first-hand the conditions in which a lot of families live, with no running water or mains sewerage, making us realise how lucky we are and how just a small gift can lift their spirits for a short while. One older gentleman thanked the team for not forgetting the elderly whilst delivering food, and an older lady couldn’t believe she was receiving free food and thought that she would have to pay or there was a catch.
Jan and Barry Howe who joined TEECH for the first time reflected on their experience:
‘Abject poverty and misery for so very many, which rendered us speechless in so many houses. Unbelievable conditions in the 21st century. The much happier side was seeing the, so very well behaved, excited school children, wearing their Sunday best, who thought Santa had forgotten them, receiving a Xmas gift from Santa and knowing that they too could be going home to a house with little or no comfort and sanitation.
The generosity out of poverty was amazing. We felt very humbled by the giving of homemade gifts to thank us for what TEECH were doing for their community. We’re now left with the overriding feeling of “Could we have done more? And What more can we do”
The team were supported, once again, by the amazing Iulia (pictured above in snowman onesie), providing superb translation and organisational skills at each village visited. Whilst in Bolduresti volunteers were also joined and ably supported by Vlad, Sergiu and Dorina, who many of you will know from prior projects and their support over the last few years.
Thank you to all those involved in making up shoebox parcels and donating items to the charity to make it all possible. A selection of pictures from the trip can be viewed here. Hopefully the photos will provide a feel for the conditions in which people live and the joy the children felt on receiving their presents. We hope you spot your box!
TEECH volunteers have just finished celebrating their second Christmas of 2019, having celebrated in the UK before heading off on the two week trip to Romania and Moldova, and again on the 7th January when the Moldovans celebrate. The team of 9 from England and Scotland, took over 2,200 shoebox gifts and 200 food parcels, all of which were hand delivered to families, schools and the elderly. The weather was kinder this year, with only small amounts of snow causing icy conditions.
Over 16 villages were visited, sometimes with the team splitting up to ensure everything could be delivered. Walking down tracks where vehicles could not go and getting pretty muddy! Volunteers therefore saw first-hand the conditions in which a lot of families live, with no running water or mains sewerage, making us realise how lucky we are and how just a small gift can lift their spirits for a short while. One older gentleman thanked the team for not forgetting the elderly whilst delivering food, and an older lady couldn’t believe she was receiving free food and thought that she would have to pay or there was a catch.
Jan and Barry Howe who joined TEECH for the first time reflected on their experience:
‘Abject poverty and misery for so very many, which rendered us speechless in so many houses. Unbelievable conditions in the 21st century. The much happier side was seeing the, so very well behaved, excited school children, wearing their Sunday best, who thought Santa had forgotten them, receiving a Xmas gift from Santa and knowing that they too could be going home to a house with little or no comfort and sanitation.
The generosity out of poverty was amazing. We felt very humbled by the giving of homemade gifts to thank us for what TEECH were doing for their community. We’re now left with the overriding feeling of “Could we have done more? And What more can we do”
The team were supported, once again, by the amazing Iulia (pictured above in snowman onesie), providing superb translation and organisational skills at each village visited. Whilst in Bolduresti volunteers were also joined and ably supported by Vlad, Sergiu and Dorina, who many of you will know from prior projects and their support over the last few years.
Thank you to all those involved in making up shoebox parcels and donating items to the charity to make it all possible. A selection of pictures from the trip can be viewed here. Hopefully the photos will provide a feel for the conditions in which people live and the joy the children felt on receiving their presents. We hope you spot your box!
funding the transport 2020
As many of you will have read in the October newsletter, BT have ceased support to TEECH in 2020, therefore the charity is looking for sources of funding for one of the lorries for the summer trip. The team aim to take two articulated lorries, as in the past, with one nearly funded from extremely generous donations and fundraising from volunteers. To kick start the fundraising for the second lorry, a dedicated page has been created on the Wonderful platform, therefore if you would like to provide support please click on the link below:
www.wonderful.org/fundraiser/teechtransport2020-6f34f17e
Each vehicle will cost the charity approximately £4,000 to take to Moldova and back, which includes fuel, road tolls, and the ferries. At the moment this value excludes hire, as we seek companies to provide the lorry units. In February there will be more information on the village being visited and the project to be undertaken in August 2020.
www.wonderful.org/fundraiser/teechtransport2020-6f34f17e
Each vehicle will cost the charity approximately £4,000 to take to Moldova and back, which includes fuel, road tolls, and the ferries. At the moment this value excludes hire, as we seek companies to provide the lorry units. In February there will be more information on the village being visited and the project to be undertaken in August 2020.
donate whilst you shop with amazon smile
TEECH are set up on Amazon Smile – its Amazon as you know if but allows a donation of 0.5% of each purchase to charity. If you do use Amazon and would like to help raise a few pounds, then follow the link below to read more about it and link your normal account to the charity and continue shopping as you always have done.
Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance.
clothing please
As we start preparations for the August trip the charity would like good quality children's and men's clothing, therefore spread the word and if possible pass it through to us in Banana boxes for sorting. Women's clothes also welcome but as we all know this is easier to come by. Thanks