Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Princess Margareta, who serves as president of Romania's National Red Cross Society, said that in 10 years of activity the Food Bank has supported over 200,000 families.
"In the past year the number of people living at the edge of society and of people excluded from society has increased (...). One in three Romanians is at risk of poverty and social exclusion. More than one third of Romania's children live below the poverty line and 150,000 children go to bed hungry in the evening. This statistic only includes children from rural areas. The highest at risk are the children who have two or more siblings. Employees are also struggling with poverty," the president of the Romanian Red Cross told an event organized at the seat of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), given that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Romanian Red Cross Food Bank.
The Crown Custodian also said that many vulnerable groups contact the institution for assistance.
"We would like every Romanian in a crisis situation to get help from the Red Cross (...) We will continue to encourage, facilitate and promote daily the humanitarian activities that prevent and alleviate suffering," she said.
Mihaela Geoana, former president of the Romanian Red Cross, said that at the 10-year stocktaking review of the Food Bank, she was impressed as she looked over the figures.
"The public response was incredible. Hundreds of tons of non-perishable foodstuffs have been collected, coming to the support of hundreds of thousands of families. (...) The support from our partners was exceptional, the biggest hypermarket and supermarket chains were close to us," said Mihaela Geoana.
Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan said that the Food Bank brings together a lot of energies, from individuals to important companies.
"We celebrate a project that works and which has yielded results for 10 years (...). The Food Bank is a project that unites many energies, from individuals to important companies, to important institutions of the Romanian state, and it should be a mobilizer and a real example, for political decision makers as well," Turcan said.
She thanked the Crown Custodian and president of the National Red Cross Society, Princess Margareta, as well as BNR governor Mugur Isarescu.
"Your Majesty, I would like to start by thanking you for the energy wherewith you engage in the life of the Romanian Red Cross, as president. You are a highly involved and very efficient president and obviously, every time we talk about the Red Cross, we cannot help but think of a symbolic image of Queen Mary and her exemplary dedication to those in suffering during the First World War. I therefore congratulate you on your input to the life of this society and I assure you that for me, personally and for many people (...) this it is an example of a well functioning institution," Turcan said.
She mentioned that she accepted the position of Deputy Prime Minister in order to integrate projects that cannot be designed in one institution of the Romanian state alone.
"Your project reaches out to vulnerable categories, but it also helps areas such as education and health. This is what I want to do and accomplish in this term as Deputy Premier, and there are projects that I will pursue, such as reducing the school dropout phenomenon through widespread afterschooling, a project where the Red Cross sets an example of good functioning, or diversified diet in school, where again the Red Cross has a successful contribution in the centers under its coordination, and going through to school medical assistance or school counseling," added Turcan.
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