Good bye and thank you from RICF!
Thank you to all for your messages of support and encouragement. Today is the last day for the UK charity RICF. The final donation has been transferred to FICR in Romania prior to the RICF bank account closing today. RICF's Stewardship, Paypal and Benevity accounts have also been closed. Please do ensure that you inform your bank of the need to stop donations to RICF, if you have not already done this. If you forget to do this future transfers will bounce. If the money does not appear in your account please chase it with your own bank as it will have been returned to them.
FICR hosted the last meeting for the abandonment prevention ('maternity') project in July and we paid in full all financial support that families in this project would have been anticipating at the point they signed up. The financial support decreased gradually over the 12 months of participation, starting at 300 RON monthly for 3 months, then 250 RON for 3 months, 200 RON for 3 months and finally 150 RON for 3 months. We didn't want to cause any financial hardship to these families through our decision to close, and so at the final meeting, families received a donation to cover any outstanding amount. So for example, if a mum and baby pair were 9 months through the project and would have expected to continue a further 3 months, they were given 450 RON (approx £78). If they were 6 months through the project and would have expected to continue a further 6 months, they were given 600 + 450 RON (approx £182). Toys and books were also distributed to families.
The team have also been busy distributing FICR's furniture and large goods, for example the fridge / freezer and cooker and some furniture were donated to a lady we have been supporting who is relocating having escaped with her 2 children from a domestic violence situation. We are really grateful to Simona for all her hard work during a heatwave to ensure that these assets would find good homes where they would continue to make a difference to needy families.
The August meeting of the foster carers was held in McDonalds and was the first of a new model of meeting that we hope will go on beyond the closure of FICR. This meeting was facilitated by Emilia and we hope to transition to self-facilitated meetings as there are already long established friendships between the foster carers. We will no longer be able to offer financial support to children in Romanian-government funded foster placements once FICR closes, but once the apartment has been sold we are looking to make a one time gift to support these young people.
We are grateful to Emilia for her ongoing work with the relevant Romanian child protection authorities to ensure a smooth transition into a guardianship arrangement for the young person for whom FICR has been employing her foster carer. We are delighted that she will be able to stay with the same family who have looked after her since she was a baby, and where she is thriving.
If you missed our last update, you can read it here, to catch up on our celebration of all RICF's achievements over the last three decades. We are so excited at the legacy we are leaving, and are really pleased with all that has been achieved over this time.
Once again, the trustees would like to express their gratitude to all those who have been involved in any capacity supporting RICF’s work; former trustees, current and former staff in Romania, volunteers and visitors, who have given so generously of their time and expertise, those who have donated or arranged fundraising events, and those who have supported our work through prayer. We are so grateful that you have all journeyed with us in this. Thank you for your loyalty and faithfulness, and your generosity towards RICF. It has been a privilege and a humbling experience to be entrusted with the task of putting your resources to work in Romania, providing loving families for abandoned and orphaned children, and preventing abandonment of newborns by working with vulnerable families. RICF has made a difference in the lives of so many children, young people and families. We could never have done this without you.
God bless,
Suzie