The Caritas Catolica humanitarian organization of Oradea town was founded in 1990. It is part of the Caritas Confederation of Bucharest, incorporating 11 diocesan Caritas associations. We are focusing on according sustainable solutions, both short- and long-term and coordinate humanitarian activity within the bounds of our possibilities in 10 localities of and 3 counties in Romania.
Compassion for our fellow beings is dwelling in everyone and drives us to express it in as many ways as possible. Our organization has this internal motivation at its very core.
The beginnings of Caritas in Oradea can be brought back to the period of the downfall of communism, around 1989, when tons of humanitarian aid transports have arrived from the western countries.
Soon it became obvious that on the long term, it is not the most efficient way to solve the country’s social difficulties. It was not enough to give momentary help to those affected by deep poverty and health problems; consequently the new-born Caritas began to develop programs focusing on social services. As years passed, these programs were developed and optimized to the needs of beneficiaries.
Our present target groups include families with many children,old people with small income and heatlth problems, the disabled and the mentally challenged, Roma communities, victims of disasters, orphaned children and homeless people.
Within Caritas, we operate social canteen, old people’s homes, aid office, polyclinic, dentistry, home care center, daycare centers for old people, and a social boarding school.
In all this, we are given the effective and indispensable support of local and foreign sponsors, among which there are humanitarian organizations, institutions and private entities as well.
They all do their best to support our work not only financially, but with exchange of experience, advice, and most of all with aid transports. These transports are a real tangible help for those in need, containing clothing, footwear, household items, furniture, sanitary material, cosmetic and personal hygiene products, food products.
These goods are partly distributed among the needy people through the Aid Office, and partly sold in the charitable Caritas Shops, as from the income we fund our social aid programs. The donated sanitary materials are useful for the polyclinics, home care centres and the old people’s homes.
Besides the headquarters in Oradea city, Caritas Catolica has several branch offices in villages and small towns, like Marghita, Tasnad, Zalau, Valea lui Mihai, Alesd, Salonta, Sacuieni and Osorhei.
We make efforts to become a more and more self sustaining organization independent of foreign sponsorship, we remain open to collaboration with new partners and we do our best to maintain a fruitful partnership with the existing ones.
