GOING LIVE!

It's been a very busy month at BTG Towers and we have a lot of very exciting news to share with you. The first is that after many months of design, offers of help, retractions of help, stressing and panic, our brand new website has gone live TODAY! You can check out our website by clicking here.

Here you will find our stories and information on how you can become involved in Bridging The Gap. You can read about who we are, why we started up the NGO and the events which you can attend.

We want to say a massive THANK YOU to Ross Tanner and his team at Flosites in Chisinau who have made this happen. We hope you agree that Ross and his team have done a grand job and have made our little dream a virtual reality. Check out more about how Flosites can fulfil your business needs by clicking here

So as you can see, Team BTG has been "ca si o albinuta" and we have more news to let you in on. Our team is about to expand after we recently announced a vacancy for our Project Developer role and final interviews take place on 25th September with our Executive Board. The calibre of candidates was incredible and we are lucky to have so many great people who want to contribute to our work. We will let all of you know who our successful Project Developer is next week.

Finally...our information brochure has been printed and we want to thank Narcis Coste for the incredible work he did designing our marketing materials. You'll have seen our banner at the Mojo Quiz Night and we will be distributing our new brochures there shortly. Oh - and with that in mind, if you're free on Wednesday 24th September (TONIGHT!!!) and in Bucharest, why not join the event and pit your wits against Bucharest's intellectual elite (!)

We would like to thank all of you who have helped us make this dream a reality and we look forward to sharing a lot more with you and invite you to join Team BTG! 

Blame Canada....for Being Amazing!

As we told you in early August, Bridging The Gap has brought together Blythswood Romania and the Canadian Armed Task Force (CATF) to build a new house for Stella*, a beneficiary of the Basis Program run in Cluj-Napoca. You can read more about how this came about here.

We are delighted to share pictures of the finished project and the handing over of the keys which took place in the village of Floresti, next to Cluj-Napoca on Sunday 17 August. Bridging The Gap exists to bring together social projects with those who can and want to help and this is a great example of how our model can work. A massive thank you to CATF and the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation of Canada for helping make Stella’s dream a reality. 

Inside Stella's new house

The finishing touches are added

Stella and her granddaughter receive the keys to their new home from members of the Canadian Armed Task Force

Some delighted new residents

*Names have been changed

Is NGO in your DNA? Then BTG wants U!

Is NGO in your DNA? Then BTG wants U!

WE ARE HIRING!!!

Position/ Title:       Project Developer
Hours:                  Full Time
Office/ Location:    Bucharest, Romania
Deadline:              29 August 2014

Duration:              Permanent

We are looking for the right individual to bring new ideas, a creative personality and enthusiasm to a newly created grass-roots charitable organisation based in Bucharest. Bridging The Gap exists to find support for charitable NGO’s in Romania by bringing them together with the business community. Our vision is a Romania where the needs of all charitable organisations making a positive impact on society are met by the community. We are looking for the right person with the right potential to help make our vision a reality.

What you need to do:

·          Create and build links between corporate and NGO partners

·          Find resources to meet the needs of our partner NGO’s

·          Be innovative by creating fundraising opportunities for the organisation

·          Develop marketing and promotional materials in Romanian and English

·          Support our volunteers during fundraising and awareness raising events

What you should have:

·          Ability to build and develop relationships with donors and NGO partners

·          Creativity to identify ways in which NGO partners can benefit from businesses

·          Passion to motivate and enthuse others to support our cause

·          Impressive organisational and communication skills

·          PC skills including a knowledge of Microsoft Office programs

What you should be:

·          Native Romanian speaker with intermediate levels of written and oral English

·          Willing to learn and pro-active with a ‘MAKE THINGS HAPPEN’ attitude

·          Flexible to work evenings and weekends if needed

·          Able to work on your own initiative and also as part of a team

·          Empathetic towards the goal and mission of the organisation

What you will get from us:

·          A chance to be part of the development of one of Romania’s newest and most ambitious  charitable NGO’s

·          The experience of working in the ever-expanding NGO sector in Bucharest and a stepping stone to a brilliant career in the NGO sector

·          The opportunity to be mentored by award-winning individuals from the charity and business sectors

·          A job where you will never have the same day twice

·          Appreciation, motivation, inclusion and a salary relevant to the position

Please send your CV and letter of motivation in English explaining why you think you are our perfect candidate to john.mckellar@bridgingthegap.ro by 5pm on 29 August 2014

A Rock Solid Foundation

It’s not often that the offer of help falls out of nowhere. As even the most experienced charity worker will admit, you can count on one hand the amount of times that unsolicited assistance comes your way out of the blue. At Bridging The Gap, Lady Luck gave us a wee wink in late Spring in the form of some kind of manna from heaven (and BTG friend, Ian Tilling).

Earlier this year, members of the Canadian Air Task Force (CATF) temporarily relocated to Cimpia Turzii, a town located near Cluj-Napoca in the heart of Transylvania. Through Ian, they contacted Bridging The Gap to ask if we knew of any projects near the city of Cluj-Napoca in which they could become involved. CATF, they told us, had over 50 individuals ready to get their hands dirty and give support to a community project. Now, BTG is not one to rest on its laurels, so we immediately contacted four of our known charitable NGO’s in Cluj to tell them about this potentially life-saving opportunity.

Over the next month, these organisations contacted CATF and proposed different projects. The criteria was that the team of volunteers could contribute towards providing equipment for or help to build something for a social project. The military personnel at CATF were willing to give up their free time to work on this project and so it was key that it should have a real benefit to the community. After heavy deliberation, CATF decided on working with the Basis Project, run by Blythswood Romania.

Blythswood Romania has been working on social projects since 1995 and is linked with Blythswood Care, a British charity which provides humanitarian aid and spiritual support to the underprivileged in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. The Basis Project provides basic social care for vulnerable families who might need medicine, food parcels, home visits or even shelter. One of the beneficiaries is Stella*, an elderly woman raising her granddaughter in a wooden shack on top of a hill in the village of Floresti, right next to the city. Stella receives no government pension or social benefits and the roof of her home does not keep out the rain or cold. Blythswood Care Romania intended to raise money to replace the roof of the shelter but were not sure where to find the finances nor the manpower to carry out such a project.

“This is where Bridging The Gap came in”, says Blythswood Romania’s Executive Director, Balazs Csiszer, “and the difference they made was crucial”. Putting Blythswood Romania in contact with CATF not only guaranteed a new roof for Stella, but they decided they would go one better - our Canadian heroes decided to build her a new house!

The Canadian Air Task Force unload to start the project

On the 9^th and 10^th August, over 70 volunteers from CATF came together to build a prefabricated house for Stella and her granddaughter. This was all made by possible by the generosity of the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation of Canada, the Floresti Town Hall and the Romanian Air Force. Mr Csiszer continues, “this project will improve the living conditions of the family and the shelter, so generously built by our Canadian friends in their spare time, is not only insulated but will also collect rain water to meet the needs of house. We want to thank the CATF personnel and we are so grateful for the generous funding from the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation”.

Building the foundation for the new house in front of Stella's previous shelter

“Here at Bridging The Gap, we are delighted to have  been able to provide this vital link for Stella and her family”, says BTG Chief Executive John McKellar. “This is exactly the reason why Bridging The Gap exists – to provide a connection between Romania’s vulnerable and people who want to help. Whether it’s a large corporation, an individual or a group of people who want to lend a hand like the Canadian Armed Tasked Force, we are thrilled to be able to bridge the gap and be a small part of making a difference in the lives of people life Stella”.

Over 70 volunteers came together to build the structure for Stella and her granddaughter

The new building starts to take shape 

The house is now almost ready and Stella will receive the keys on Sunday 17th August at a ceremony with the members of the Town Hall present. We'll keep you up to date with this next week. Balazs adds, “None of this would have happened without this first critical step. Bridging The Gap has put us in touch with volunteers from CATF stationed here in Romania and allowed us to make a much greater impact than we originally anticipated". 

All in a weekend's work

*Names have been changed

Ernst & Young Volunteers Lend A Helping Hand

Many hands make light work

It was in 1546 that English playwright John Heywood coined the phrase "Many Hands Make Light Work", meaning that if everyone comes together and helps with a large task, it will be done quickly and easily. While we cannot say that the work we do is quick and easy, one of the key tasks of Bridging The Gap is to bring people together from different backgrounds and environments to make a difference by working together and performing large tasks. 

The charity "Casa Ioana" may not be one you have heard much about in the grand scheme of global charities, however their work and mission is one that cannot be ignored. Ian Tilling, who has been based in Romania since 1992, started off with a vision to convert 10 apartments into accommodation for disabled children who had recently left the state's institutions. Fast forward 22 years and Ian and his team at Casa Ioana have worked with over 4000 people who have benefited from the shelter for displaced families in Bucharest. More recently, the Casa Ioana team have been working hard to provide Bucharest's first shelter for women and children who have become victims of domestic abuse.

At Bridging The Gap, we are big fans of what Casa Ioana do and we were keen to see how we could help them meet their needs. Our friends at Ernst & Young, one of the "big four" audit firms, had recently asked if there were any projects that their staff members could get involved in and so we linked them with Casa Ioana and over two weekends in August, the Casa Ioana team were helped by the Ernst & Young team in getting their new shelter ready for the grand opening in the autumn. The renovation of the shelter was hard work, especially in the summer heat, however the volunteers got involved with gusto and made great progress. We've attached below some pictures of the great efforts made over the last two weekends. 

The enthusiastic team from Ernst and Young

Lifting the flooring

New friendships were formed

Some heavy duties took place

The furniture for the project has already started to arrive

Ian tells us, "Casa Ioana has come to rely on volunteers more and more to drive our work forward and capitalise on the skills that volunteers can bring. Ernst and Young's volunteers have really made a difference in bringing forward the time that we can open our doors to women and children experiencing domestic violence. Thank you!"

We are grateful to the volunteers who so willingly gave up their time to help with the project and they have even nominated the shelter to be considered for future help from Ernst and Young. This is what some of the volunteers had to say: 

• I would definitely volunteer again. I think volunteering gives me the chance to use and explore my skills and abilities and for a higher purpose, 
• What I liked about the project was working as part of a team, having a good time together with my colleagues and Casa Ioana’s friends, participation in a project that strives to build a better world.
• I would love to help out with another project as long as others in need benefit from my help! 

If you or your company is interested in helping out as a volunteer with any of our projects, please check out our Facebook page and contact us for more details. As you can see from the above reports, it's a worthwhile opportunity to get involved. Don't just take it from us, we'll leave Ian Tilling to have the last word. 

"Bridging the Gap has introduced us to Ernst and Young and opened the doors to a pool of volunteers just when we needed them most. Additionally, Bridging the Gap is putting us in contact with others who want to help. We all know that it's about connections, and Bridging the Gap is about as good a connection as it gets! Thank you!"

Let's Get Started....with Bucharest's Elderly

Here is your opportunity to be part of our first project. Read below to see how you can help the vulnerable senior citizens in Bucharest through Our Lady of Mercy.  

 

Our Lady of Mercy Romania / Asociatia Fecioara Maria a Milostivirii

 

In 2000, Sister Rose Carmel McNamara, came to Romania from Ireland and was struck by the vulnerability and hopelessness of the people that society had forgotten. Over the next five years, together with a local team of volunteers and assistance from Ireland, Sister Rose worked with the needy and in 2005, the Our Lady of Mercy Romania Association was created.

 

The organisation encourages people to live their lives independently regardless of their age or material status. Today, their main aim is to support senior citizens with low pensions and low income families struggling to educate and raise their children.

Giving English lessons to local children

Our Lady Of Mercy runs out is based in Sector 2 of Bucharest where more than 120 senior citizens who are mostly housebound, with little or no pension, congregate on a monthly basis to eat, laugh and integrate together – a place where they can enjoy themselves and forget about their worries! At the end of their time together, they are given basic provisions to take home. This time is given to offer encouragement, support, comfort and most importantly, friendship which many of their beneficiaries experience so little of. 

The beneficiaries come together once a month for food and fellowship 

Chief Executive of Bridging The Gap, John McKellar, has visited the project on two occasions and has this to say:

 

“I visited the project just before Easter and was encouraged by not only the welcome that the senior citizens received, but the way in which they laughed and shared with one another. At one point, they were up on their feet dancing to an Irish jig and their lust for life and fun was infectious. In a society where many react only to the needs of the vulnerable children needing support, it is hugely encouraging to see that the elderly of Bucharest are not forgotten”. 

Our Lady of Mercy ensures that the beneficiaries have fun as well as receive help and support

So What Can You DO?

The Our Lady Of Mercy Centre is a hub of activity which consists of the organisation’s office, a learning space for young people and also a food store, kitchen and eating area. Hygiene and safety are of primary importance and for this reason, the centre needs refurbished. The following is needed:

·         The apartment needs a bright coat of paint – this includes 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, hallway and three large rooms

·         Re-flooring throughout the apartment

Paints, painting materials and equipment will be needed for this task and if you are able to help us resource these, this would move along the process. We also are looking for:

·         A team to come in and complete the renovation works. No building skills are necessary, just an enthusiastic work ethic, the willingness to have fun and a little bit of hard work. This could be you and a group of friends or why not a team from your workplace? 

Our Lady of Mercy supports senior citizens and families on a monthly basis with basic food packages. There are around 120 people who benefit from these packages every month which include non-perishable foods including sugar, flour, pasta and oil and toiletries including:

• Diapers (adult and childrens' sizes)
• Washing detergents
• Toothbrushes and toothpastes
• Soaps

There are 14 local volunteers who give up their time so generously to come in and cook for the beneficiaries

Sister Rose tells us the importance of this by saying “Our people cannot feed themselves adequately with their pensions or wages which shows why we need  non perishable foods and toiletries. Some of our seniors have been bed ridden for years due to strokes and so our help is so vital”.

The care packages of food and toiletries are so vital for the beneficiaries

If you would like to learn more about Our Lady Of Mercy, please visit their website or Like their Facebook page 

Additionally, if you feel you would like to support the organisation through offering your time to renovate or supplying any of the materials or supplies mentioned above, please contact us by emailing john.mckellar@bridgingthegap.ro

THANK YOU!

Things Can Only Get Better?

Last month on our blog, we brought your attention to a short film that the UK's Channel 4 had broadcast about the living conditions of many of Bucharest's homeless in the sewers under Bucharest's main railway station. If you missed it, you can watch the video again here.

The video portrayed a life of drugs, crime and misfortune for the residents of these compacted tunnels under the EU's 7th biggest city. For most, it was harrowing and hard to watch and showed the reality of what the Romanian government is choosing to ignore on its own streets.

Less than one month after broadcasting the report, Channel 4 returned to Bucharest to follow up on one of the fallen from the initial report.

It's impossible to know what will happen next to Bruce Lee and his gang. Since the original report, BTG have heard of different ways in which the government has attempted to deal with the situation. Reports of sending smoke bombs down the sewers to flush out the residents were met, quite rightly, with protests from human rights organisations. Now that Channel 4 has once again reported on the desperate situation, we can be sure that the government will have to respond somehow. Let's hope it will be sooner rather than later before another of these angels falls...