News
New Transitional Home for Young Women Opens in
Tirgu Mures, Romania
In January 2009, Buckner International – Dallas, Fundatia Buckner – Tirgu Mures, Romania and Go Therefore Orphan Ministries combined efforts to open a transitional home for young women ages 18-22 moving from an orphanage setting into young adulthood.
Fundatia Buckner Director, Dacian Moldovan, has been working closely with Child Protective Services for about 1 year in preparing to open this much needed program. He is anxious and excited to see how the transitional home will impact the lives of these young ladies. Currently, the home has two residents and a Buckner staff person as a “live-in” mentor. Eventually, the home will add one additional young lady for a total of three.
Mentor – Orsi Ghyarmaty, and two of our transitional home residents.
Among the major goals is for the girls to transition from a group institutional setting to begin to learn the very basics of independent adult living. The girls may learn a vocation or have chance at an education. Dacian reported, “The girls are learning to spend money and to use the home’s resources wisely”. The young ladies have responsibilities such as cleaning days, cooking and even regular church attendance. When youth leave the world of institutions, they are rarely prepared for adult living. With out guidance and proper preparation, these young people may become mere statistics: homeless, prostitutes, drug addicts, alcoholics, inmates or suicides. None of which are predestined if only give a chance.
In Dacian’s update, he said the girls and mentor are in the “phase when we want to develop a relationship with them and at the same time find out their personalities and what their plans for their future, vocation, values, strengths and weaknesses”.
“Go Therefore Orphan Ministry founder, Tim Oloffson saw the plight of these kids first hand on a Shoes for Orphan Souls trip. He stepped up to the plate on behalf of the least of these. He, his wife Theresa, Matt Dobyns and many others have been recruiting mission participants, donors and prayer warriors to give these girls a chance at a productive life. Without their 100% funding, this home would be a dream,” stated Phil Brinkmeyer, Buckner Director of Development for Europe.