YEAR IN REVIEW: WE KEPT BUSY!
BARN PARTY: This July we had an unforgettable fundraising party in Holliston; the
Romanian students participated for the first time as guests. They even presented a show under the watchful eye of our own "artist-in-residence", Mrs. De Springer. We were lucky to hav
e
Mrs. Andrea Balsamo
as the committee chair, she created the best hoedown party atmosphere with the help of the amazing Ronda Bertrand-Robbins and her line dancing skills and the band of George LaGrassa, drummer Lee Rothstein. See you next time!
IN SEARCH OF ALUMNI, A ROMANIAN ITINERARY
:
Dr.Dana Floru and her family
traveled to
Romania this
fall to meet
former students, parents, and teachers; crisscrossing the country from Vilcea, to Sebes and Brasov, to Bucharest. The EERC alumni have new wings as some are now in colleges across Romania and Europe with the mutual goal of shaping their future with courage and a great vision ahead. Best of luck, all!
BACK AT HOME:
Mrs.
Denisa Dobrin, the energetic volunteer who put EERC on the
map fo
r our
Vilcea
students r
eturned to her native town to meet the growing EERC family. We are grateful to Professor Luminita Manescu who helped
coordinate for years the
application
process, Mrs Monica Gheorghiu for hosting the meeting and to Mrs Radulescu who is
the engine behind the united alumni and parent group.
NEWS:
We are glad to have new contacts with KinderSchool , Bucuresti and Fundatia Principesa Margareta, Bucuresti with which w
e hope to develop future projects
. With new board responsibilities
Dr Florentina Anastasoaie became the Vice President of EERC, and Ms Petruta Radulescu was named de Regional Director in Romania.
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A CROSS CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE: BECOME A HOST
Testimonial, Andreea Balsamo
In the Spring 2015, my daughter, Sadie, and I, set out to explore her new camp at an open house at the Charles River Creative Arts summer program (CRCAP) in Dover. Little did we know that we would stumble upon EERC, and our lives would change for the better. Florentina and Valerica were at the camp booth, and they were lo
oking for host families for the Romanian children who would be attending the camp. My husband agreed it was a great idea, and after we passed the home visit, we began to plan our summer.
Thus far, over two summers, we have hosted first Ioana and then Maria; they quickly became part of our family. Sadie is our only child, and she was excited to have a visiting sibling. We kept busy showing off our family and the surroundings: we took to the city, the beach, family cook-outs, the Museum of Science, and the New England Aquarium, even a trip to NYC.
It was hard to say "goodbye" at the end of these two incredible summers. Tears were shed, yet the experiences was priceless.
Each year the girls learned from each other although they might had different interest. My daughter Sadie
loves all things musical theater and has little enthusiasm for sports.
Ioana loved dancing; she picked up guitar and photography at camp. Maria loved all things sports, and she was not a fan of shopping and girly things. None of this mattered; Sadie become friends with each of them, they accepted their differences, and learned from each other. By the end of the summer, Sadie sang along as Ioana played guitar and Maria even admitted she liked the play Wicked.
Sadie has learned to share her home and her family; her patience and kindness have deepened as a result. We are excited to see Maria and Ioana next summer as we travel to Romania, and we hope to host again.
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ALUMNI STORIES
Elena Mocanca, Focsani
After my American journey, I understood how important it is to give time to someone else, especially to those in need; this is how I started volunteering in my town and school. With my improved English, the result of my EERC experience, and with a portfolio with my volunteering programs I had joined, I decided to apply for an Erasmus scholarship. The commission was impressed with EERC experience and so I was accepted to a program that took place in Portugal. It was a great experience overall so next time I invited one of my best friends who I met through EERC, Andreea Zsak to join me. Fortunately we were both accepted.
Traveling the world with your best friend is an amazing feeling.I am so glad we had the chance to spend two weeks together.
I am thankful to EERC for giving me the chance to expand my horizons, to meet my friend Andreea and new people who I keep in my heart. Not only I discovered new lands but I discovered new self -dimensions, my own strengths and potential.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
AN EVENING OF CAROLING: f
undraising party with musical guests the group "Chindita", Adrian Sahlean and Adriana Ausch at Floru's home on December 9 ! This event is full.
SAVE THE DATE!
EERC will celebrate its 10 year anniversary on July 9th, 2018 in Valcea. Location TBD, so stay tuned!
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HOLIDAY SHOPPING? USE AMAZON SMILE FOR EERC
You can support our organization by using Amazon Smile for your holiday purchases!
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A ROMANIAN WINTER TRADITION
Every Winter, Romanian kids look forward not only to the snow and vacation
but to
a
holiday not typically celebrated outside of Europe: Mos Nicolae, or
Saint Nicholas. On the night of December 5th, kids shine their boots and shoes and leave them by the
door. Over night,
Mos Nicolae will have stopped by everyone's houses. The next morning, kids are greeted by presents, typically fruits and sweets.
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