We hope this finds you all healthy and getting through the Covid-19 pandemic safely.

Fortunately, Pro Vita has escaped the scourge of the disease with only a very few cases reported in their geographic area and none in Pro Vita itself. The staff had to undertake a heroic effort several months ago to comply with all the new governmental regulations affecting congregate living in the time of Covid.  Residents were shifted to additional houses to create more distancing, and isolation areas were created in case the virus struck  any of the Pro Vita residents in Valea Screzii, Valea Plopului, or Valenii de Munte.  So far, everyone’s careful adherence to the rules has paid off, and we hope and pray that this continues.

As you are all well aware, travel abroad from the U.S. is severely restricted so we don’t know when we will be able to visit Pro Vita in person.  We do stay in regular telephone contact with Mihail and Melanie Tanase who, as always, are overburdened with the needs of their beneficiaries and the challenges such as rising food costs.  The Easter fund-raising campaign in Romania was very disappointing this year and the traditional June Run for the Children, a 100 kilometer race, had to be cancelled due to Covid concerns. Fortunately, your continuing generosity has given AFPVO a solid financial basis to support “economic trampoline” investments once Pro Vita and Romania are ready to resume them.

The new stove for the Valea Screzii common kitchen has finally arrived from Italy and been installed — much to the delight of the Pro Vita Chefs de Cuisine.

Two of the young ladies, Andra and Minodora, finished their baccalaureate exams with high marks and both will be starting university in Bucharest in the next term– in the pre-med and sociology faculties.  Congratulations to both of them for their hard work and our wishes for their future success.  We spent time with both of them when we visited in October 2019 when they shared their aspirational goals with us.  We are so happy that they were able to achieve them.