We have taken on 5 more projects for 2015 that makes 27 now, so will need your support some are small others are much larger

PROJECT (1) THE HOMELESS SHELTER SILISTRA
There are only 4 rooms in this establishment, a bathroom and a small kitchen. It is only open for the winter months and can take in only people who are recommended by social services.. The building was an old Kindergarden school and a section has been cut off for the homless shelter. It is not a great place but it is clean and has the basic facilitie needs.

We visited with 3 of our student helpers from the Maths school, who did two Christmas boxes for them as a class project. I asked the deptuty director how we could help and she said they need 20 sleeping bags, some towels and soap or any kiind of toiletries. So we will do our best to get what we can for them.............All donations gladly received

PROJECT (2) THE POOR IN BABOOK VILLAGE SILISTRA
This is much bigger project we met with the Mayor Konstina and said might be able to help the families. However, we do not give money but would be happy to help with clothes, toys linen and such like. The Myor was deligted as many of the families have nothings at all. We will visit some of the familes in due course. There are an average of 70 children of all ages. In additions to the normal collections we will try to do some Christmas gift bags for the children or at least one toy each so will need lots of small toy and soft toys a main pesents. If you can help please let me know thanks.

PROJECT (3) SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
This special needs school have 8 to 10 children so not a lot is needed just now. We will start off with very basic needs and see how it goes from there. They need things that they can hold like rattles, tactile items that make noises, coloring book, crayons, learning toys. Soft toys. Would be very grateful for your support..

PROJECT (4) THE CHURCH SILISTRA
The church is building a new extention, my understanding is this is to be kind of centre where the poor can come for a help with items like clothes, food and essentials We can only help them with a few boxes of clothes, toys and maybe some tined or dried food so again if you can help please let us know. Thank you so much

PROJECT (5) SILISTRA HOSPITAL
We have been supporting the Silstra hospital for a while now we brought tnd donated hem new wheelchairs back in 2008. in 2013 nd 2014 we brought boxes of baby items for the Maternity unit. This year we wll be working on clothing and small soft toys for the Maternity unit. We also need bed llinen and gowns for the wards. Again i you can help please let us kinow thank you..

As you know Dougie and I, Berni do evertything voluntary, we collect, sort, pack, label and pallet. It is a lot of hard work but cerainly worth it all. . We set up a small none profit charitable organisation, back in 2009, Our cause It is not about money only donated items but of course we are not able to pay the transport costs fr the lorry to Bulgaria ourselves any more therefore, we have to find a sponsor or raise funds to cover these cost. This year 2015 we have been lucky LWM Consultnts Ltd will sponsor the transport . As you can imagine this is just brilliant!! All we need to do now is fill the lorry with donations so if you can help with anything plese let us know. Thanks a million. Berni &
Dougie xx
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Berni and Dougie, Where do you get all your energy from, can you let me know what pills you are on because I need some
You are just to good to be true

willowsend wrote:

Berni and Dougie, Where do you get all your energy from, can you let me know what pills you are on because I need some
[size=150:riwvqvng]You are just to good to be true

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Ah Willow for your lovely comments and link - Pills naw never, it just normal routine now I think we are up to 27 organizations now that we have supported 15 of them are ongoing and now expanding to the poor in the villager. This year we did 40 gift bags for the 4 villagers nearest to us but there was less chldren, what I SHOULD HAVE done was wrapped small gifts like a pairs of scoks, a scarf, hat etc up for the elderly - this would have been much better and they would have benefited and would probably have made their day, but I know better now so I have started already for next year. Our Christmas dinner at the hall was lovely too they did a tombola the gifts were things like a tea strainer, a coat hanger, a bottle of washiing up licquit, a green scour pad simple stuff but they were delighted with whatever they won. I bought some pomine opened two and the thrid was still untouched so added that to the tombola this seem to have made the tombola the best one and everyone was talking about the great tombola. So next year we will do a hamper

It really is so sad what we take for granted - Here Christmas is about the Chrstmas I grew up with, not about presents but the simple things like a banquet of great food, meeting people, singing and dancing I organised for Kolarie (not sure how this is said ) but folklore Carol singers with a friend in the town to come to the village. the 6 boys came in two cars with their parents all dress up. it was a formal welcome cermoney even the local mayor address them. Presents and card are not part of christmas and I think I embarrassed them by givng presents, so I need to be careful next time. The men are dress in the knitted pullovers or tanktops their wives knitted and they are so very proud of the work the wives did.. Looking forward to next year now.......... Sorry I am gabbiing again

Amazing!! you two - hope all goes well with all your projects. It's great to hear how the simple things in Bulgaria matter and is mainly why we want to move over there.

carolo wrote:

Amazing!! you two - hope all goes well with all your projects. It's great to hear how the simple things in Bulgaria matter and is mainly why we want to move over there.

Carolo for your lovely comments I am sure you will love it here in BG.

Well the donation are coming in now our spare room is jam packed as is the dining room, we will have help for Ikea and Wilkinsons, kni for peace and pillow case dress again this year so it is a good job we are going home in 8 days hopefully we will get the lorry filled within the 3 nomths if not before as need to get back here again asap..... We h

Here are only some of he donation in our house

Good luck with your new projects I'm sure they will be as successful as anything you do because you put your heart and soul into them

Carmen wrote:

Good luck with your new projects I'm sure they will be as successful as anything you do because you put your heart and soul into them

Hun :Hearts:x

Phew!! spare room all sorted now everything is sorted and boxed, all palleted this morning just waiting for PC Howard to come and collect the first 3 pallets and take to storage. Got a long way to go yet, hope the dontions start to come in things are a little slow not sure we will be able to fill the lorry by April now.....Fingers crossed

Go Girl

3 more pallets gone to storge now so 6 down 14 or so to go.   We don't need too much for our orphanages in Silistra now s they have plenty they just need the usual stuff like shoes and toiletries and  of course the Christmas main presents and stuff to fill the Christmas stockings I have finished the Malek Orphange now and almost the Dimcho ony got the babies, disability centre and 1 in the new SFTH children and adults centre then I can start on the 110 children in the surrounding villages

Some not so good news this year.....  Unfortunately we havve decided that there will be no Garden Party this year this is due to a few factors, firstly I do think the Garden Party has run it's course now and we need to be looking at something different.  Secondly there are big changes going on at Social Services over the next two years, could be that they will take the Dimcho to upgrade the disability centre. It appears that many small homes are opening now to take up to 12 children  - Natrually this is great news but will be disruptive for the chldren they only know the Dimcho as their home, but we will see how it goes.  I am told that the French are putting money into all the Social Services in BG but again this is only hearsay.  Change is good as long as it is in favour of the children.  Will know more in the spring...


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Good luck with your new projects will you still be having the garden party at Silistra?

pollypop wrote:

Good luck with your new projects will you still be having the garden party at Silistra?

Here is your answer to your enquiry posted by Berni last month

Some not so good news this year..... Unfortunately we have decided that there will be no Garden Party this year this is due to a few factors, I do think the Garden Party has run it's course now and we need to be looking at something different

Oh what a shame but I suppose there is only so much that you can do. Thank you willowsend

Thank you Willow you are a little gem!!

I spoke with Stilian the director yesterday and it appears that the change over of homes will take place  in August  - so we loose the Dimcho that we spent several happy years there plus it won the best home and managed orphanage in Bulgaria , but at the end of the day, it is only a building   Adymere is further out of Silistra.  The building needs a lot of repairs they said the outside was painted a few years ago and actually it look nice from the outside see the picture below on our website.  So here we go again onwards and upwards    

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Berni posted, plus it won the best home and managed orphanage in Bulgaria  

But, and a big but, they could not have done it without you. Altogether you made a wonderful team  and well done