The Fund for the Elderly responds to the urgent needs of those who have no one left
- Isolation means loneliness and lack of access to services for the elderly
- An emergency fund created to address needs caused by the coronavirus
- A call to donors and sponsors who can respond to the needs of elderly people in Romania
Social isolation is the most effective preventive measure, officially recommended by authorities and specialists, but it is impossible to follow for elderly people who have no one. The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation launches the Elderly Fund, an emergency fund created to address the current needs of elderly people in Romania and to manage the social isolation caused by the coronavirus.
Amid the crisis caused by the coronavirus, 3.7 million elderly people in Romania can avoid the risk of infection only by staying at home. Many of them receive moral and material support from their family or social circle. Others, however, are forced to leave their homes to obtain food, medicine, and essential goods, while some are simply immobile or suffer from depression in isolation. For these groups in particular, it is urgently necessary to establish a network of social providers and support services.
This fund is intended to support the needs of elderly people across multiple regions of the country. Various social projects, NGOs, and initiatives that assist vulnerable seniors during the crisis can be supported through the Elderly Fund. The team of The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation coordinates these efforts to reach as many elderly people in difficulty as possible.
Among the needs already identified among elderly people affected by the coronavirus crisis are the purchase of essential goods, emotional support and psychological counseling, hygiene and sanitary products, material assistance, and various home-based services.
The Elderly Fund collects various types of contributions from donors, companies, and other funders who wish to stand in solidarity with elderly people living alone. Contributions can be made via SMS to 8844 with the text SINGUR to donate 2 EUR per month, through sponsorships to the account RO77BACX0000000129312250, or through donations of products and services from companies, as well as other types of funding.
The Foundation is one of the few non-governmental organizations running social programs dedicated to the elderly, with the support of volunteers, using an intergenerational approach. Since 1993, the Foundation has supported elderly people in Romania through programs designed to combat isolation and loneliness and to improve their quality of life, such as The Elderly Fund, Our Seniors, The Seniors’ Club, Never Alone, Flowers for the Soul Campaign, Elderly Helpline, Generations Centers. As a result, over 180,000 elderly people have received support from the Foundation over time.
