rescued, helped and valued
Dictionary.com recently added the term "unhoused" as a unique replacement for the term "homeless." For a variety of reasons, certain groups have begun using other phrases, like houseless, unsheltered, people without homes or unsheltered people. All these phrases have pros and cons.
But what they describe is never a positive.
According to the Ageing on the Edge Research Library, Romania is "a staggering 8 times poorer than 10 years ago with 44% of Romanian living in poverty. Today, many years after the fall of Communism, Romania's infrastructure is still lacking the basic needs in many villages. The elderly often live without electricity, clean water, and proper sanitation"
In many cases, these older adults end up living on the streets. They are often found abandoned by family, widowed without adequate resources or "stuck in a cycle of poverty they cannot escape due to advanced age, poor health, or other circumstances."
Romania has a major lack of services for those aging without adequate support. And beyond that, in July of 2023 Romanian authorities raided dozens of elder care homes over allegations of patient abuse. (Read more HERE)
While this information saddens and angers us, it is also all the more reason to rejoice that our amazing ministry partners in Romania are caring for older adults who find themselves without the help they need to survive and thrive.
Thanks to you, our donors, who provide the financial support for Elder Orphan Care to be able to assist our partners in this needed and growing ministry to older adults in need.