Daniel Centre
The new Counsellor, Anna Moldovan, started on November 26th. She is well qualified in social work though she has most recently been involved in managing a McDonalds restaurant. Abraham, who shared night supervision duties with Sergiu, continues alone but is helped by the fact that the current crop of lads is very well behaved with no drink or drug issues.
The depot has now started receiving regular income from being rented out.
Balazs is now in the middle of co-ordinating this year’s shoebox distribution of about 90,000 shoeboxes delivered from the UK by 14 trucks. On November 26th, he was online with 30 partners scattered through Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine, with greater emphasis this year being placed on the Ukraine. On December 9th, he revisits Odessa with Jeremy, the Blythswood CEO, and Neil with the camera, to film the distribution of shoeboxes in preparation for their 2026 appeal. The situation in Odessa is very tense with Russian drones coming in over the city.
This year, there will be a survey of all shoebox recipients to make sure that safeguarding and accountability are as good as possible as to who receive these boxes and how they are received.
Balazs’ wife Agnes is recovering well from an operation for varicose veins 2 weeks ago.
Talita Kum
Balazs was also to spend 30 minutes online with Adi on 26th November for their quarterly report on the running of Talita Kum.