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Greetings from Caritas

Thank you for your membership! Your annual membership fee supports Caritas in the long term. Through newsletters, you will receive information about current events before others. Also, remember that as a member, you are entitled to a 10% discount on regular-priced items from the Caritas shop if you wish. In such cases, we kindly ask you to place your orders via email at caritas@caritas.fi.

Thank you to everyone who donated to camp support! Our most recent fundraiser for domestic work helped a total of 35 children experience a wonderful camp this summer!


The work of the new Board of Caritas Finland, elected last April, is off to a good start. The organisation’s activities are constantly evolving as the Board builds a new strategy this fall.

The nonprofit sector is facing changes, as government support for organisations in Finland is significantly decreasing. Caritas is particularly affected by the end of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' communication and global education funding. For example, the "My Equal Life" project was funded through that program. We are seeking funding sources abroad and have initiated collaborative projects with companies. The most important thing is to stabilize the organisation’s finances and keep operations running.

The support of members and sponsors is vital to us. When considering donation opportunities, please keep Caritas in mind. For example, the Caritas support fund is directed precisely where the need is greatest. On our website, you can set up a monthly donation agreement through your bank. You can also make one-time donations to any of our causes.

 

Caritas is involved in parish activities

Would you like to be the Caritas contact person in your parish? You’ll have the opportunity to share how Caritas carries out acts of love and kindness both in Finland and around the world. Your responsibilities will include ensuring that the latest information about Caritas is always available on your parish bulletin board and website and that donation boxes and posters are visible. You will receive support and information from the Caritas office about our activities and current events. If you're interested, please send a message to caritas@caritas.fi.

In August, we visited the Diocesan Festival in Lohja. It was nice to see Caritas members and familiar faces from previous years. Also, a warm welcome to the new members of Caritas!


Collaboration with Catholic parishes is very important to us. We are delighted to receive invitations to various parish events.

  • We will be participating in the Meilahti Day on September 7 from 11:00 to 15:00 at Valpurinpuisto and St. Mary’s Church. Welcome to buy Caritas products in the parish hall!

  • In September, we are organising a "My Equal Life" evening in Turku at St. Bridget and Blessed Hemming's Parish on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 18:45 after the evening mass. You are welcome to explore the photographs of the "My Equal Life" project and read the related stories! In addition to the photos taken by Bangladeshi photographer GMB Akash, there will be an opportunity to learn more about inequality and how to reduce it. The evening will be attended by the project manager Laura Koskelainen and the secretary general Larissa Franz-Koivisto.

  • We will also be visiting the women's evening in Turku in October 16th at 17:30.

 

New projects are starting both in Finland and at our development cooperation sites

A new project funded by the German Bonifatiuswerk will begin in September. Meisa Dano and Hannele Liukkonen are working on the project. Its goal is to develop the organisation’s volunteer activities and promote volunteer participation. The project also aims to deepen the relationship between parishes and Caritas. We also discuss the social teaching of the Catholic Church, which Caritas follows.

In the project, we will establish connections with all Catholic parishes in Finland. We want to activate charity volunteers throughout Finland and organise various volunteer evenings and other activities. Building cooperation with the different parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Finland is an important part of Caritas Finland’s pastoral work.

 

In August, Katri van Wensen joined our office as a new development cooperation specialist. She coordinates our development cooperation projects in Bangladesh and Nepal.

The project in Nepal helps small-scale farmers cope with climate change, and in Bangladesh, we promote the rights of migrant workers. Additionally, we received good news this summer when the Ministry for Foreign Affairs granted funding for our new projects, which will begin in Kenya and Myanmar in 2025!

In the future, you can stay updated on our work by following our development cooperation (kehitysyhteistyö > kehy) newsletter. The newsletter will be published electronically twice a year starting in October. You are also welcome to attend the Development Cooperation Taskforce meeting on October 16! Follow our website or contact Katri to learn more.

 

Bring your textiles to Caritas' sewing service!

If you're sorting through your clothes this autumn and find items that need repair or updating, bring them to the Sewing Service! Our seamstress Silvana is accepting new sewing projects.

At the Caritas sewing workshop, you can have repair sewing and custom work done. The proceeds from the service support the work of Caritas Finland. If you're unsure whether a garment is worth repairing or updating, bring it to us. The seamstress will let you know what can be done and provide a price estimate for the repair. Please contact us to schedule a visit in advance: caritas@caritas.fi, with the subject line "sewing service."

A warm thank you to all the customers who have already discovered our sewing service! It's been wonderful to see that you keep coming back😊

 

 

Events at the Caritas office at Kuusitie 6, Meilahti Helsinki

  • Food distribution days in the autumn are from 15:00 to 15:15 every other Monday: September 2, September 16, September 30, October 14, October 28, November 11, November 25, December 9.

  • The Caritas café and shopping evening is from 15:00 to 19:00 once a month: September 18, October 23, November 20, December 19, 2024.

  • Development Cooperation Taskforce meeting on October 16 starting at 17:30. Please register with Katri van Wensen!


Best wishes for the start of the autumn season from Larissa and the Caritas office team!


Below: Farmers from Nepal, where Caritas Finland has a development cooperation project.




 

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