June 2020

Click here to read our June newsletter

May 2020

Welcome to our monthly newsletter. We try to keep them nice and short but we don't always succeed because we have sooo much to share. Please bear with us. ;)

Writing a beautiful newsletter email is scary and difficult, but I have a little secret: I enjoy it! I do, because growing up I’ve never been good at writing and it makes my brain bend into pretzels. The challenge of starting it every month makes me postpone it until it hurts, but the joy of getting it done is worth it.

Now, as every one of us is sitting at home, I’m going to challenge YOU to take up something NEW. Bend your own brain into a pretzel, get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you need to take one step back to make two steps forward and this is one of those times: take up a computer programming class, learn photography, cooking or how to create a website. Be creative. Make the best out of this situation, which, quite frankly, has its benefits: it brought us closer together, our families and our communities.

PROGRAM: "Cercul de Informatica"

Since our Youth Center opening got postponed indefinitely, we’ve challenged 20 kids (10 to 14-year-olds) to learn Drawing and Animation in our first Computer Programming course. I wish I could say the kids love the class, but that would be an understatement. They have launched into it as if they were still back in 1986 and this was the first time they’d seen a keyboard. If they continue at this pace, Pixar beware! Check out what they’ve been able to do in less than 4 weeks. Believe me, nothing can stand in your way if you commit to it and give it a good shot.

FUNDRAISING

In a 16 hour/day, 5 weeks marathon, our volunteers and donors helped raise more than $700,000 for face shields and other protective equipment, for Coronavirus tests and robots to clean hospitals so that doctors, nurses and ambulance workers in hospitals in over 50 cities in Romania can be protected while doing their work. With over 500 fundraisers and approximately 20,000 donors in more than 30 countries around the world, RUF has been leading the Facebook fundraising campaigns.

Five partner nonprofit organizations from Romania have been actively involved in the fight against Covid19, doing titanic work delivering protective equipment to hospitals and sending hundreds of food packages to isolated people.

The cherry on top? Over 400 people raised $60,000 on Facebook by donating their birthdays through RUF. This money will make up a grant for “Emergency funds” and in a few days an independent Committee will make a decision as to where the funds will go based on the applications received from our Community Partners.

VIA TRANSILVANICA

On December 5th, 5 months ago, alongside more than 300 people, RUF raised $110,000 for a beloved project: Via Transilvanica. The application that allows you to see the milestones on a map and “adopt” one is up and running. If you made a donation and are a proud owner of one or more of those wonderful andesite milestones, then you should have received a call from us. If you are interested in acquiring one, there's still time. Check out their website.

During the event our guests were shown a video that was kept under wraps until recently. It was released to the public just a few days ago and on the second viewing it's still breathtaking. You can watch it here.

Other news / updates:

• We are glad to formally announce our Board of Advisors . The Board acts as a consulting body, working with our Board of Directors and is formed out of experienced professionals and business people.  
• We owe everything that was accomplished to our volunteers, beautiful people with big hearts. Here is our thanks to them.
• Two events we had planned for this spring got postponed: Community Center & Cercul Donatorilor. We will keep you posted with the new dates.

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HELP OFFERED
Do you or someone you know need access to food, medicine, healthcare or transportation? RUF is here to help

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