In week 23, ADRA Romania continues the fight against COVID-19, focusing on the victims affected by the virus. Whether it is disadvantaged people, extremely low-income families, the elderly, or children, ADRA always finds a way to respond to each category.

In the 23rd week of implementation of the project "Humanitarian Support COVID-19," the ADRA team reached 1,461 people: 1,396 adults are fighting to ensure decent living conditions; 46 are single, elderly people with acute subsistence needs; ten are immigrants; and nine are victims of domestic violence.

Therefore, in the week of August 9–15 alone, the ADRA project “Humanitarian Support COVID-19” materialized the specialized services adapted to the specific needs generated or accentuated by the COVID-19 context for 1,461 beneficiaries, as follows: 1,174 people received basic food for a decent living and to be able to get through these days of crisis more easily (75 of them received a hot meal at home every day); 250 newborns received baby kits and help at the beginning of their journeys, according to needs; 23 people received help through provided shelter; 14 people benefited from social assistance and psychological crisis counseling.

The humanitarian help offered by ADRA Romania consists of information, awareness, counseling, and distribution of food and hygiene products. The services and products were provided by the qualified personnel of the ADRA team, who acted by following the security and safety policies and rules imposed by current laws of the World Health Organization (WHO), Strategic Communication Group, Health Ministry, and General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), in partnership with local authorities and accredited institutions. Some specialized services have been outsourced.

“When working with beneficiaries, in addition to the general structure of a project, you need to customize it according to needs. And we, as specialists in the social field, make every effort to respond to people on various levels (social, financial, psychological, and cultural),” said Alina Bordaș-Mohorea, psychologist/specialist in psychotherapy, ADRA Romania. She continued, “The psychological interventions of this period are in line with the principles of pandemic crisis counseling, the beneficiaries acutely feeling the need for certainty, stability, and control of the outside. [So] because these very things that seemed safe before are now fraught with uncertainty, we focus on developing the beneficiary's ability to work, internally and externally, with what (s)he currently has. The objectives are set in the short- and medium-term, and we highlight the resources they have, so that, in a confusing world, our beneficiaries can maintain their mental health.”

“Specific to those involved in ADRA projects is that constant feeling and urge to help needy families because they have the desire to spread the blessings received from God,” explained Anca Țepuș, psychologist/specialist in psychotherapy, ADRA Romania. “This reaction is contagious and engages other people in the process, who notice the joy they feel when they help others. All we have to do is let ourselves be led by Him every day, because it will open our eyes and our hearts to observe the needs of those around us.”

Within the project “Humanitarian support COVID-19”, specially created for the current situation, ADRA Romania aims to reduce the risks generated by the virus among the population. The objective is achieved by promoting preventive measures and socio-economic adaptability and ensuring the need for commodities in order to maintain safety.

More about ADRA Romania

Since 1990, ADRA Romania has been involved in special projects to provide care for beneficiaries in the whole country. Leading its project under the motto “Justice. Compassion. Love”, ADRA Romania brings joy and hope to the elderly beneficiaries, a motto through which a better value and human dignity are promoted for the future. As the provider of accredited social services, ADRA Romania is a part of the ADRA International network, the global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As one of the most widespread non-governmental organizations in the world, the network is active in more than 130 countries, and projects are implemented based on the philosophy that caring combines compassion with a practical spirit, addressing people in need, without them being of a particular race, ethnicity, political orientation, or religion. The goal is to provide a human service so that the world can coexist as planned.

This article was originally published on the Inter-European Division’s news site