Pandemic journal, April 1-10 | New measures of support from the Romanian Orthodox Church in the COVID-19 crisis

In the second half of March and the first ten days of April 2020, the Romanian Orthodox Church invested over 2 million Euros (10 million ROL) in measures of support to combat the social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Support actions continue, organized both at diocesan level and at grassroots level, in parishes who all join the effort to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. In addition to help offered to the vulnerable, the Church continues to offer money and equipment to hospitals across the country.

The online platform ajutacubucurie.ro (“help with joy”) connects efforts made to bring help all over Romania. On this website, volunteers and donors offer help, which is directed to those who request it at the toll-free helpline 0800.800.368.

Find below a synthesis of the measures and help actions taken by the dioceses of the Romanian Orthodox Church between April 1 and 10, 2020.

The Archdiocese of Bucharest

Through the program “Meals of Joy”, implemented in partnership with the supermarket chain Selgros Cash&Carry, the archdiocese offers food products and hot meals for 1,176 persons from its social assistance centers, the homes for the elderly and the parish canteens from Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov and Prahova counties. Also, 1,150 additional hot meals are taken to the beneficiaries’ homes, an action which will continue until the state of emergency is ended. Between April 6 and 10, the value of the hot meals surpassed 9,000 ROL.
It offered 6,000 still water bottles worth over 3,000 Euros to some hospitals in Bucharest.
Doamna Oltea Parish in Bucharest offered 1.3 tons of canned food worth almost 2,700 Euros to the “Matei Balș” Hospital.
By April 12 aprilie, the “St Panteleimon’s Athaeneum” Departament of Bucharest’s St Panteleimon – The Firefighters’ Tower Church granted humanitarian and financial help in value of 6,000 Euros to those affected by the pandemic. The support consisted of food for the elderly, covering the utility bills for an association which cares for around 40 vulnerable children and youth, and coverall, face shileds and protection gloves for some hospitals and for St Panteleimon’s Volunteers.
Over 100 volunteers from the Chapel of the National Cathedral continue to support hospitals and vulnerable persons from Bucharest city, the Capital of Romania, and the neighboring Ilfov county. With the help of some important companies, they offered food to the elderly and to the hospitals where Covid-19 patients are treated.
The archdiocesan tailor shop has made 60 coveralls for the Volunteers of the Chapel of the National Cathedral, who bring humanitarian aid to hospitals and to the homes of the vulnerable

The Archdiocese of Iași

Photo: Facebook / Ansamblul Mitropolitan Iași

Between April 6 and 10, it offered help of almost 83,000 Euros, of which mostly in medical devices (31,000 Euros), hygiene products (over 27,000 Euros) and food and hot meals (22,700 Euros).

It donated to the “St Paraskeva” Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Iași a 30,000-Euros fully automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, mostly funded by the archdiocese (21,300 Euros), but also financed through the donations sent at fiideajutor.ro (“be helpful”.ro), an online platform set up by the archdiocese. The device has the capacity of 180 tests an hour and can do different types of tests, including the SARS-Cov-2 test to identify the presence of the new coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease.
The Volunteers of the “St Nicholas” College from Iași offer, with the support of their private partners, foood and medicine for the isolated elderly. On this purpose, they cooperate with local authorities, private donors (companies, families, NGOs) and block flat owners’ associations. The volunteers found a local coffee shop which offers 100 coffees daily for the doctors in the city. Meanwhile, the Canteen of “St Nicholas” College prepares 130 hot meals daily for the Hospital of Infectious Diseases in the city, the Providence Clinic and the hostels from the “Tudor Vladimirescu” student campus, where doctors are hosted in isolation during the pandemic. Their meals are completed with a desert offered by a local sweet shop.
The Hârlău Deanery donated 100 protection masks for the local administration employees and the law enforcement forces.
The “St Paraskeva” („Sfânta Vineri”) church from Pașcani city offered 10,000 textile protection masks to the parishe’s 700 families.
The clerics from the Piatra Neamț Deanery donated blood for three patients from the Neamț County Emergency Hospital. The deanery also offered, at the request of the local Social Assistance Direction, 352 kilos of vegetables for the isolated elderly and hot food for the county hospital. In addition, 30 isolated widows from Bistrița Parish are constantly assisted with necessity shopping.
“Venerable St Paraskeva” from Iași offered 800-Euro worth food for 40 vulnerable families.
The “Pentecost” Parish in the town of Valea Lupului offered hot meals for 80 persons.
The “Holy Archangels” Parish in the town of Săvinești – Neamț, in partnerchip with the Foundation “Together for Social Solidarity”, continue the “Donate and save” project, which consists of food package distribution for vulnerable persons in the area.
Dănești Parish from Piatra Neamț Deanery donated 2,000-euro non-perishable food to 60 persons.
The “Veronica’s Veil and the Brancovan Martyrs” from Iași gave 500-Euros worth of food to those in need.
The “Synaxis of the Three Hyerarchs” – Nicolae Bălcescu Parish from Hârlău Deanery offered to seven vulnerable families over 500 Euros in food and financial support to cover their utility bills.
Hândrești Parish from Iași county offered food, antidoron and holy water to 50 elderly persons.

The Archdiocese of Sibiu

In the second week of April, it offered help of almost 30,000 Euros, most of it as food and necessity products (almost 22,000 Euros), but also in medical services and accredited services of transport for medical patients (almost 4,000 Euros).

The Parish Mediaș-Cathedral I and the “Saints Peter and Paul” Church from the Mediaș Deanery donated to the children from the Foster Care Center in the town of Agârbiciu hygiene products, food and other products of necessity with a total worth of almost 700 Euros and offered to the elderly 160 hot meals (400 Euros).
The volunteers of the “Saints Peter and Paul” church from the city of Mediaș identified vulnerable persons to whom they offered financial help, food, hygiene products and clothes. They even covered the costs of the utility bills for some of them. The total value of this support was of 660 Euros.
The priests from the Brașov Deanery donated to the Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and the Children’s Clinical Hospital from the city of Brașov disinfectants, biocides and medical materials of over 2,000 Euros.
150 parish volunteers from the Brașov Deanery participate in the “Gifts from the depth of our heart for the seniors” campaign initiated by the Brașov City Council, which offers food packages to the elderly. The elderly and the ill can call 0800.420.123 and ask volunteers to do the shopping and other errands for them.
The Brașov Deanery is setting up a food bank and a support fund to help families affected by the Covid-19 crisis. The Orthodox churches in Brașov organized crisis cells in order to identify social cases from the parishes and bring them relief in food and other necessary goods.

The Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj

Between April 6 and 10, it offered support in total calue of over 16,000 Euros, of which 0ver 14,000 Euros as non-perishable food and hot meals and 2,700 Euros for medical devices.

It offers daily 450 free portions of food and free assistance at home for the elderly, the ill and those in quarantine (through the canteens of the Orthodox Theology Faculty, through the Society of Orthodox Women from Cluj-Napoca city and the archdiocese’s four social canteens: The “Saint Archdeacon Stephen” Canteen, phone: 0733070590; The “Holy Trinity” Parish Canteen, phone: 0723690203; The “St Martyr Philothea” Canteen, phone: 0749404795; The Canteen of the Foundation “Archpriest Aurel Munteanu”, phone: 0364800568; 0748191670).
It offered 340 quarantine beds to the authorities.
The “Holt Trinity” Parish from the city of Cluj-Napoca offers daily hot meals for 60 elderly and ill people.

The Archdiocese of Craiova

In the second week of April, it offered help in value of 3,000 Euros, especially as food products and hot meals.

The Craiova branch of the Romanian Women’s National Orthodox Society (SONFR) donated two 3D printers to the Robotics Club of the “Buzești Borthers” National College in the city of Craiova. The high-school students offered as volunteers to produce face shields for the medical staff at the “Victor Babeş” Infectious Disease Hospital in Craiova.

The Archdiocese of Timișoara

It offered help of 18,000 Euros, of which 0ver 3,000 for medical devices and the rest as food and hot meals or even money for the utility bills and necessity shopping for the vulnerable.

For instance, the archdiocese donated for the 500 patients of the Psychiatric Hospital in Jebel, Timiș county, more than one ton of foods such as potatoes, onion, cabbage, fruit), more than 1,000 jars of jam, 100 kilos of sugar, 100 liters of cooking oil and 1,400 cups of yoghurt. For the facility’s triage area, where new patients will be boarded before the can be confirmed coronavirus-free, the archdiocese donated beds and mattresses.
It also donated 350 face shields and two tons of cold cuts for hospitals and public institutions from Timiș county: the Psychiatric Hospital in Jebel, the Psychiatric Hospital in Gătaia, Timișoara city’s Social Assistance Direction, Timiș county’s Child Protection Service (DGASPC), the Caritas Federation of the Roman-Catholic Diocese of Timișoara, the Maltese Help social service and the Timișoara ’89 Foundation. These institutions offer quality social help to people in economic, social or medical crisis, including victims of domestic violence, the elderly, the chronically ill with low incomes and the homeless.

At the initiative of Metropolitan Ioan, the nuns from the Archdiocesan Center bought 2,000 meters of single-use textile material, which they turned into 1,000 de bed sheets approximately 5,000 towels for the “Victor Babeș” Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Timișoara County Hospital.

The Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Louxemburg

It launched, together with the Romanian Embassy in Berlin, a partnership to support the Romanians from diaspora in different areas, mostly charity-related ones. The online platform Clubul Academic Român (“The Romanian Academic Club”) will be launched on this purpose. Diaspora Hub, the Romanian parishes, organizations and informal groups will be able to register on it to support Romanians in difficulty from the Western Europe.
Those who need help can already use the Facebook group Voluntariingermania (“Volunteers in Germany”), where help requests and offers of support can be posted.
The Düsseldorf and Straubing parishes have donated to the hospital in the Romanian city of Suceava protection masks and other equipment.
The Romanian Parish Konstanz sent to the hospital in the Romanian city of Bârlad 2,000 medical masks and face shields made by a family from their parish.

The Archdiocese of Târgoviște

Between April 6 and 12, it offered help in value of 19,000 Euros, of which over 11,000 Euros in hot meals, non-perishable foods and necessity products, 3,700 Euros in medical devices and almost 3,000 Euros in hygiene products. The archdiocese also supported some vulnerable families and persons by covering their utility bills. Some examples of humanitarian aid:

The archdiocese donated two Ultraviolet lamps, disinfectants and masks to the Dâmbovița County Blood Transfusion Center.
The Social Canteen of the archdiocese offers hot meals for 100 people daily.
The parishes Dealu Mare, Doicești, Iedera and Măgura from the Pucioasa Deanery donated hygiene products for the Hope Flower Center in the town of Pucioasa.
The parishes Cornetu, Codreanu, Domnița Bălașa, Titu Gară, Titu Nou and Sălcuța from the Titu Deanery donated cleaning products for the Establishment for the Elderly in the town of Mereni.
The parishes Lazuri, Hăbeni, Raciu and Mărcești from the South Târgoviște Deanery donated for the “House of Sun” Social Services Complex in the city of Târgoviște hygiene proucts, interactive games and sports itmes necessary for the daily activities of the beneficiaries.
The parishes Răzvadul de Jos, Răzvadul de Sus, Sf. Vineri and Sf. Nicolae Andronești from the North Târgoviște Deanery donated hygiene and sanitary products, food and stationery items for the Community Services Center “St Andrew – Gura Ocniței”.

The Archdiocese of Tomis

În April, it offered humanitarian aid of 17,000 Euros, of which over 13,000 Euros in hot meals, non-perishable foods and other products and 3,000 in medical devices and hygiene-sanitary products. Some of the contributions were as following:

The nuns from “St John the Baptist” Monastery in the town of Lipnița made over 100 bed linen sets for the Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Constanța and the Medgidia City Hospital.
The Annunaciation Parish of Constanța city donated 10 blood pressure meters and 3 thermometers.
The Parishes “St Herman” and “St Menas” from the city of Constanța offered medical services in value of almost 500 Euros.
35 socially vulnerable families and low-income pensioners from the villages of Casicea, General Scărișoreanu, Eforie Sud and Amzacea were offered 20 tons of fire wood, 2 tons of potatoes, 1 ton of onion, 200 liters of oil, 300 kilos of rice, 300 kilos of beans and 300 chicken.
The social canteen of the Annunciation Parish from the town of Navodari offers daily 80 hot meals.
The Eforie Sud 1 Parish gave 30 hot meals and non-perishable food packages to the vulnerable.

The project continues. Those willing to help can contact their parish priests or Fr Jean Ion, Social – Missionary Counsellor at the phone number 0722.826.177 (donations can be sent into the account of Asociația Samarineanul Milostiv – Constanța, RO10UGBI0000452009683RON, open at Garanti Bank).

The Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți

Photo: Facebook / Catedrala “Naşterea Domnului“ din Suceava

It created the online platform alaturilagreu.ro, to fundraise and coordinate volunteer work in support of the local hospitals and the vulnerable. Donations for the county hospital can be made at RO51RNCB0234037010910014 (ROL), RO78RNCB0234037010910110 (EURO), SWIFT: RNCBROBU, CIF/CUI: 4244814, BCR Suceava Bank, Account owner: Arhiepiscopia Sucevei și Rădăuților.

The archdiocese offered support of over 37,000 Euros in April, of which 18,000 Euros in medical devices, 11,000 Euros as necessity products, almost 5,000 Euros in meals, bottled water and non-perishable foods, amost 2,000 Euros for accommodation of the doctors who need to isolate in order to protect the community, almost 1,000 Euros in hygiene products and 700 Euros in medical services and accredited services of medical transport for patients, as well as other forms of support. Find below some example of support offered in he first part of April.

Rădăuţi Deanery donated over 10,000 Euros for the local hospital in the city of Rădăuţi.
At Father Bogdan Constantin Feștilă’s initiative, volunteers from Fălticeni, with the support of a local advertising production company and the members of the Pigeon Lovers’ Association from the town of Fălticeni, made and donated to the local city hospital 400 face shields.

The archdiocese donated 100 protective coveralls for the Rădăuți Hospital.
The Fălticeni Deanery offered 8,000-Euro worth of food, medicine and hygiene products which reached 320 people. The aid camapaign continues on Easter with the remaining 3,000 Euros which remained from the fundraising camapign.
The volunteers from the Orthodox Youth Association ATOR Suceava work with local authorities to distribute food and necessity products for the socially assisted and the people in isolation from the city of Suceava and the neighboring towns.

The Archdiocese of Alba Iulia

Photo: Facebook / Arhiepiscopia Alba Iulia

At the request of the priests from the deaneries of Târgu-Mureș, Reghin, Sighișoara, Luduș and Târnăveni, the Mureș County Council has redirected 52,000 Euros initially allocated for church maintenance from public money, towards local hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

In addition, the archdiocese offered in April over 52,000-Euro humanitarian aid, of which nearly 30,000 Euros in hot food and non-perishable foods, 19,000 Euros in medical devices, 800 Euros in hygiene products and 400 Euros in medical services. Some of the support measures were as following:

It donated to the Alba County Emergency Hospital protection equipments in value of 4,500 Euros: 2,000 protection masks and 300 protective coveralls.
The prietsts from the Reghin Deanery, with their families and congregations donated nearly 13,000 Euros for the “Dr. Eugen Nicoară” City Hospital from the city of Reghin.
The priests and faithful from the Luduș Deanery helped 245 vulnerable and isolated people from Mureș county, offering them non-perishable foods, hygiene products and hot meals with the total value of 4,400 Euros.
In Alba county, the Program “Solidarity through Charity” offers daily food and hot meals to more than 300 people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Only in the deaneries of Blaj and Câmpeni and only in the first week of April, the value of aid offered for 100 people was of 1,500 Euros and this form of support continues.
The Târnăveni Deanery offered, with the support of partners from the private sector, food packages and hot meals for 96 vulnerable persons.

The Archdiocese of Râmnic

In April it offered help of almost 10,000 Euros, most of it as food, meals, necessity shopping and hygiene products for 767 de families at social risk from Vâlcea county.
The phone number for religious assistance requests is 0734.206.608, functional daily between 08:00 and 16:00 hours.

The Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău

The isolated and vulnerable can call for help at the unique socio-medical emergency number 0749666581, or can send an email at [email protected], where both help requests and offers of support are received.

Until April 2, the archdiocese offered support in total value of over 51,000 Euros, as following: hot meals and non-perishable foods (25,000 Euros); medical devices (12,000 Euros); hygiene products (over 11,000 Euros); medical services and services of medical transport for patients (1,800 Euros); shopping and utility bills money for the elderly (600 Euros).

In the second week of April, the archdiocese reported additional aid in value of 31,000 Euros, of which over 21,000 Euros as medical services and over 8,000 Euros in hot meals, bottled water and non-perishable foods. Some of the aid actions:

The priests from Bacău Deanery followed Archbishop Ioachim’s example, who donated his salary for the benefit of a few hospitals, and donated over 13,000 Euros from their salaries for the Pneumophtisiology Hospital in Bacău. With their money, the hospital will buy a vital functions monitoring device, two automatic infusers, a thermometer and a pulse oximeter.
On April 6, the Bacău Deanery, through the volunteers from parishes and from the Association of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Students, started distributing 20,000 packages with staple foods and hygiene products to low-income elderly persons (with pensions which amount to less than 285 Euros.
Archbishop Ioachim donated 1,000 protection masks to the Emergency Hospital in the city of Roman, the 4^th Brigade of the Romanian Military Police and to the priests from the Deanery of Roman and the volunteers from the Association of the Romanian Orthodox Youth – ATOR Roman, the faithful from the city of Roman and the neighbouring towns.
The “Synaxis of the Three Hierarchs” Parish and other two church organizations distributed to the elderly 70 food packages worth 540 Euros.
On April 3, the Association “St Stephen the Great – Hârja” delivered to the Maternity and Pediatrics of the Bacău County Hospital paper towels, disposable protection gloves, liquid soap and 30 “Happy” baby outfits for the mothers and their newborns.
The Archdiocese’s tailor shop is making textile protection masks, of which 300 have already been donated to the City Emergency Hospital in Roman.
The Parishes Cernu, Comănești, Dărmănești, Fulgeriș, Holt, Pietrosu and Traian offered humanitarian aid to the socially vulnerable.

The Archdiocese of Argeș and Muscel

It offered humanitarian aid of more than 15,000 Euros, mainly as hot meals, non-perishable foods, necessity shopping and other types of support such as covering the utility bills for vulnerable persons and offering medical transport for patients. Some of the actions:

The Turculești Parish, in the Topoloveni Deanery, offered 1,500 protection masks and surgical gloves for the Pediatric Hospital in the city of Pitești and for the Establishment for the Elderly in the town of Călinești.
The parishes take turns to ensuring hot meals and food packages for the 37 persons at the North Emergency Hostel in the city of Pitești.
The Annunciation Parish from Pitești Deanery offers food daily for the “Hope” Social Center in Pitești.
Bârla Parish in the Deanery of Costești, offered food for 150 socially vulnerable families.
Many parishes support vulnerable people from the deaneries of Costești, Curtea de Argeș, Mioveni, Pitești, Topoloveni.

The archdiocese is preparing, together with Father Ioan Danci from St Panteleimon Skete in Argeș county, a food donation for the socially vulnerable faithful in Oești, Arefu, Tutana, Micești, Stroiești, Mioveni and other towns.

The Archdiocese of Buzău and Vrancea

Offers hot meals daily for 140 underprivileged persons from the city of Buzău.
Has prepared 1,500 Easter packages for the vulnerable people of the eparchy.
The “Word and Deed” Religion Teachers’s Association from Vrancea county donated food for the institutionalized children at the Assistance and Support Center in the city of Focșani.

The Archdiocese of Lower Danube

In April, it offered humanitarian aid in value of 35,000 Euros, of which more than 14,000 Euros in hygiene products, over 12,000 Euros in hot meals, food and necessity shopping and over 8,000 Euros in medical equipment. In addition, nerly 19,000 Euros raised in the Brăila Deanery were offered to the local county hospital to acquire a pulmonary ventilator.

It established a special support fund for the pandemic period: the account is RO98RNCB 0141 0328 6409 0098, at BCR Bank, Galați Branch, the account owner eing named Arhiepiscopia Dunării de Jos, with fiscal identification code (CUI) 3127395.

The support measures were as following:

On April 10, the archdiocese donated the 8,000 Euros to “St John” Emergency Hospital for Children in Galaţi for a pulmonary ventilation device. The money was raised from Archbishop Casian’s salary and the salaries of the eparchy’s priests.
The General Railway Hospital of Galaţi was offered 300 protection masks, chlorine, liquid soap, disinfectants in total value of 2,500 Euros.
The archdiocese’s “St Nicholas” social canteen ensures hot meals for 50 vulnerable persons, 20 employees of the Galaţi Emergency Situations Inspectorate and 50 quarantined persons.
“Venerable St Paraskeva” Parish from the city of Galaţi offers daily hot meals for 100 vulnerable persons. From the beginning of the pandemic and up to April 7, the total worth of this kind of support was of 2,100 Euros.
“St Spyridon” Parish from Galaţi continues to assist the 70 beneficiaries of its daycenter for children in ways adapted to the state of emergency. The children and their families regularly receive food packages, hot meals, hygiene products of 3,400 Euros a month (of which 2,800 ensured by local authorities). The parish also offered 900-Euro worth of food packages for the vulnerable.
The accredited social services offered by the Charity Association “St Basil the Great” of Galaţi continue at two centers for children and youth (with 75 beneficiaries) in ways adapted to the current situation.
The priests from Târgu Bujor Deanery, in the county of Galaţi, offered food and hygiene materials of almost 7,000 Euros.
The Brăila Deanery offered to the Brăila County Hospital 1,000 protection masks and ordered a pulmonary ventilator in value of almost 19,000 Euros, which is to be paid from personal donations made by the local priests and funds raised by them.
The Rediu and Plevna parishes in Galați county distributed to the families in their area 600 sacks of flour donated by a few benefactors, with a total value of almost 10.000 Euros.
The 30 beneficiaries of the “Pentecost” Parish Social Center in Galați receive daily food packages while other 30 receive help at home: food and medicine shopping, home cleaning and also psychological and emotional support over the phone.
“St Ann” Parish in Galați donated food and hygiene products in value of over 7,000 Euros.
The Cudalbi 4, Hanu Conachi, Slobozia Conachi, Costache Negri and Pechea 1, 2 and 4 parishes from Galați county distributed hot meals, food and cleaning products șin value of almost 500 Euros.
The Parish Independence II in Galaţi county offered to the people protection masks, disposable gloves and food products worth 330 Euros.
The Annunciation Romanian-Greek Parish from Brăila donated a fridge to the city’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, while the Brăila parishes of St Nicholas, St Demetrios – Brăilița, The Holy Archangels, St Anthony the Great and St Menas, as well the Chiscani I Parish offered hot meals, non-perishable foods and hygiene products – totalling almost 5,000 Euros.
The Movila Miresii and Mohreanu parishes from Brăila county donated food in value of 260 Euros.
Ianca I and II parishes from the Deanery of Făurei distributed to the City Hospital and the Elderly Establishment sanitary kits and food in value of 200 Euros from the parishoners’ donations.
Nicorești Deanery donated 900-Euro worth of food and hygiene products for the socially vulnerable in their parishes and also disinfectants and protection materials in value of 400 Euros for the Pediatrics Hospital in Tecuci.

The Archdiocese of Arad

The archdiocese continued the fundraising efforts started in partnership with the “Vasile Goldiş” University Foundation to endow the County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Arad with medical devices. In addition to the eight pulmonary ventilators (having a total value of 66.640 Euros, to which the archdiocese contributed with 15,000 Euros), in April, the hospital also received:
- a video laringoscope of 3,330 Euros;
- 17 ozone generators and a positive ions generator in value of 2,743 Euros;
- Surgical gloves, protection costumes, protective bonnets, face shields, protection masks, shoe covers of 13,260 Euros;
- 8 humidifiers of 1,575 Euros;
- 5,000 three-layered disposable masks of 3,250 Euros;
- 2,500 KN95 protection masks in value of 6,250 Euros;
- other medical products of 2,896 Euros.
The nuns from the Arad-Gai Monastery and the Skete of Tămand made a few thousand protection masks for Arad hospitals and also for those who cannot afford them.
The archdiocese offered in April support with a total value of almost 7,000 Euros, mainly as hot food and hygiene products. Some examples:
- Sântana II Parish donated food for 50 people who needed emergency support.
- Sebiș II Parish offers daily hot meals to the vulnerable persons from Sebiș and the neightbouring towns.
- Sederhat Parish offered to vulnerable families 500 kilos of non-perishable food (oil, rice, wheat and corn flour, semolina and canned food) in values of 400 Euros.
- Pecica I Parish offered food, hygiene products, toys and sweets for vulnerable children.

The Diocese of Huși

The value of aid offered until April 10 was of 21,000 Euros, of which 14,500 Euros as hot meals and food, 3,500 Euros for medical devices and 1,700 Euros in hygiene products.
It offered medical materials to two hospitals from the eparchy: The “Elena Beldiman” City Hospital in Bârlad was given 800 protection masks, 600 pairs of gloves, white rubber boots and anti-decubitus mattresses, and the “Dimitrie Castroian” City Hospital in Huși was given 1,000 protection masks and 172 face shields.
Created, through the Orthodox Charity Association Huși, the toll number 8837, where one can donate 2 Euros by sending an SMS with the text: “VASLUI”. This fundraiser for hospitals in the county of Vaslui aims to endow them with intensive care ventilators, protection equipment and disinfectants. One can also donate in the account of the association: Asociaţia Filantropia Ortodoxă Huşi, RO43 RNCB 0261 1603 7343 0001 (more info at the phone number 0765.234.159).
The eparchy has created local support committees for the socially vulnerable and the isolated and offered more phone numbers for help requests: 0746.894.280, 0767.470.048, 0769.223.070 (Huși); 0740.657.576 (Vaslui), 0769.223.073 (Bârlad).

The Diocese of Caransebeș

Photo: Facebook / Catedrala episcopală “Învierea Domnului” Caransebeş

In the first ten days of April it offered more than 10,000 Euro-worth in humanitarian aid, mostly in hot meals and non-perishable foods but also 1,500 Euros in medical devices.

The program Hands of Joy continues in the city of Reșița, through the Romanian Orthodox Youth Association (ATOR) – Banatul de Munte in cooperation with local authorities. They distributed 234 portions of hot meals worth almost 700 Euros and over 300-Euro worth of non-perishable foods. Those willing to support their activity can donate in the account of the Youth Association Moniom: Asociația Centrul de Tineret Moniom, CUI: 33907287, RO87BTRLRONCRT0270766801, Banca Transilvania Bank.

The Diocese of Oradea

It raises 20,000 Euros for an Intensive Care ventilator Find out how to donate.
In the first part of April, it offered food aid in value of 6,400 Euros, îmainly as hot meals.

The Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar

In the first ten days of April, the archdiocese offered aid in value of almost 76,000 Euros, of which 67,300 Euros in medical devices and 7,500 Euros in hot meals and packaged foods.

The clerics from Lăpuș Deanery contributed with personal donations and also raised funds for an electrocardiograph offered to the Tg. Lăpuș City Hospital.

The Diocese of Severin and Strehaia

Photo: Facebook / Catedrala “Învierea Domnului” și „Sf M Mc Gheorghe” Drobeta Turnu Severin

It offered over 12,000 Euros-worth of humanitarian aid, of which 6,300 Euros in medical devices for the County Hospital in the city of Drobeta Turnu Severin and the Orşova City Hospital, 5,100 Euros in accommodation services for the quarantined and the rest as food packages.

The Diocese of Bălți

It offered 1,300 Euros to the Clinic Hospital in the city of Bălţi și 250 Euros to the Microbiologiy Lab of the city’s Public Health Center.
It donated 400 kilos of food forthe 457 beneficiaries of the Temporary Care Center for adults with disabilities from the city of Bălţi.

The Diocese of South Bessarabia

Photo: Facebook / Episcopia Basarabiei de Sud

Bishop Veniamin donated 1,000 Euros to the Regional Hospital in the city of Cahul.
The St John the Baptist Parish from the city of Leova, in the Cantemir Deanery, donated 50 coveralls for the local authority staff involved in combating the new coronavirus.
The Prince Stephen and Căușeni Deaneries donated to their local hospitals 5,125 Euros, respectively 2,560 Euros for protection equipment.
The Căușeni Deanery also donated protection equipment to the “Ann and Alexander” Regional Hospital in their city: 40 sets of medical protection equipment, prayer books and necessity products.
The Ștefan Vodă Deanery donated to the local authority two automated sprayers in value of 630 Euros, for street hygiene.

The Diocese of Slobozia and Călărași

Between April 3 and 9, it offered help in value of nearly 10,000 Euros, in food packages and hygiene products for 559 persons. Some examples of actions:
- St Nicholas – Iazu Parish offered, with the help of a company, packages with food, fruit and hygiene products in value of 422 Euros.
- The priests, with the blessing of the His Grace Father Vincențiu, Bishop of Slobozia and Călărași, helped those among the faithful who were confronted with different medical and social problems.
- Parish 9 offered packages with food and medicine in value of 184 Euros.
- The Lehliu Gară Parish offered staple foods (flour, oil, sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes, bread) in value of 100 Euros.
- Similar actions were organized in the parishes from the Oltenița Deanery: the St Nicholas – Căzănești Parish, the parishes Cuza-Vodă, St. Prophet Elijah and St Demetrios of Slobozia, the St Nicholas – Iazu Parish, the parishes Luica, Piersica, Munteni-Buzău, Căzănești I, St Evangelist Matthew, Fierbinți Târg, Tudor Vladimirescu and other.
The Slobozia Deanery collected over 800-Euro hygiene products for the Fetești City Hospital.
Bishop Vincențiu organized the fourth action of the Romanian Patriarchate’s national campaign “Donate blood and save a life”.

The Diocese of Covasna and Harghita

Offered support in value of 2,800 Euros in the first ten days of April, of which 2,000 Euros were directed to the County Emergency Hospital in Miercurea Ciuc. The rest of the money was used to offer food, hygiene products and other necessity shopping for vulnerable people.

The Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman

It offered, until April 10, support in value of 12,500 Euros, as following:
3,100 Euros for the Caritas City Hospital in Roșiori de Vede;
3,000 protection masks for the Teleorman Military Police and for the City Hospital in Videle.
4,140-Euro worth of food, of which half were distributed by the Pantocrator Monastery for 100 people in the town of Drăgăneşti Vlaşca.
It also offered hygiene products and small offerings in products or money to cover the utility bills of the socially vulnerable.

The Diocese of Giurgiu

It offered support in value of 3,100 Euros, especially in hot meals and food, but also in hygiene and necessity products or by covering some vulnerable people’s utility bills. It also offered medical services in value of 620 Euros.

The Diocese of Slatina and Romanați

It offered support in value of almost 5.000 Euros, most of it as hot meals, food, necessity shopping.

The Diocese of Tulcea

It offered support in value of 2,500 Euros, of which 1,000 Euros as medical devices and the rest as food, hot meals and necessity shopping for the vulnerable and isolated. The actions were organized through the parishes. For instance, on April 6, the Venerable St Paraskeva – Dăeni parish helped 35 elderly people and 10 families with 270 loaves of bread, nearly 200 liters of bottled water, 170 kilos of food (sugar, oil, rice, mushrooms, wheat and corn flour, peas, pasta) and children’s toys.

The Diocese of Sălaj

In the first ten days of April, it offered 3,700-Euros worth of support, of which 1,500 Euros in sanitary products, over 300 Euros in medical services, and the rest in hot meals, food and shopping for the vulnerable and isolated.
With the help of 16 parishes, the 25 volunteer priests from the “St Zotic” group, initially set up to provide psychological counseling and religious assistance, also provided concrete support worth over 2,500 lei for 133 vulnerable people.
On April 1st, St Nicholas Parish in Zalău donated 2,000 Euros to the Emergency Reception Unit – Zalău, for the purchase of protective materials, masks, gloves and coveralls.
The priests from Șimleu Silvaniei Deanery donated over 1,500 Euros from their salaries for the “Prof. Dr. Ioan Pușcaș” City Hospital, in order to purchase masks, gloves and coveralls for the medical staff.
The social canteen of the Multifunctional Center “Philanthropy” in Șimleu Silvaniei provides daily hot meals for 60 people at social risk.

The Diocese of Deva and Hunedoara

In the first part of April, it provided support of over 7,000 Euros, mostly food, but also 1,000-Euro hygiene products and 330-Euro worth of medical services.

The Social Sector of the Deva and Hunedoara Diocese donated food, detergents and disinfectants to the Emergency Night Shelter in Deva.
The Social Sector of the Deva and Hunedoara Diocese and the Deva V Parish donated to the Care and Assistance Center in Brănișca and the Hospital of Psychiatry in Zam food and sanitary products worth almost 400 Euros.
The Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Parish from the city of Brad gave to the local Municipal Hospital 500 protective masks, 500 pairs of gloves and 5 professional resterilizable suits.
The Vălișoara Parish, from Brad Deanery, donated to the local Municipal Hospital protective masks, gloves, hospital bed linen sets, cleaning sets, cleaning solution.
The Petroșani Deanery distributed packages worth 400 Euros for the Foster Care Home in Lupeni and “St Stelianos” Center in the town of Pui.
Hațeg Deanery donated sanitary products to the “Bethany” Nursing Home for the Elderly from Hațeg and to the Social Care and Assistance Center in Păclișa.
The Deva V Parish donated food, fruits and pastries to the Foster Home for Children with Disabilities, to the Special Center for Children with Disabilities in Hunedoara and to the quarantined doctors at the Deva County Emergency Hospital. On another occasion, five parishes in Deva bought pizza for people in quarantine at the County Emergency Hospital of Deva, while the Diocese’s Philanthropic Social Sector also donated food for the quarantined.
Humanitarian aid was also delivered in the Orăștie Deanery.

The Diocese of Italy

The Romanian Parish from Lodi, in the Italian region of Lombardia, sent 5,000 Euros to the Suceava County Emergency Hospital from the city Suceava.
Romanian priests from Italy offered food to the Romanians who are isolated or left without income. The also offered accommodation for those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
At Fiumicino, 31 people stranded on the Leonardo da Vinci Airport (15 Romanians, 7 Russians, 5 Brazilians and 4 Nigerians) received support for one week from the local Romanian parish.