THANK YOU LETTER!

Tisztelt Lelkész Úr!

A topolyai Bethesda szeretetszolgálat nevében és a szervezet elnökeként írok önnek. Mivel a teljes kongregációjuk felé szeretnénk kifejezni hálánkat az önök folyamatos és nagylelkű támogatásáért, köszönetünk tolmácsolásának megkönnyítése végett engedelmével angolul folytatom.

On behalf of the Bethesda Humanitarian Organisation, please allow me to express our deep gratitude for the continued and generous support that Amherst Congregational UCC has extended to us over several years now.

As you know, the children and young adults living with disabilities whom we serve are among the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society. Despite the advances that have taken place in the letter of the law in Serbia, the conditions for protecting the differently abled and ensuring that they too can lead dignified lives within society are still sorely lacking. We in Bethesda are the only organisation in the civil society sphere in our region who serve children with heavy and multiple disabilities in our daycare, and in so doing also offer an alternative to institutionalisation away from their families. We offer individual and group therapy, we organise games, activities, excursions, and much more. While before it was socially considered a shame to have a disabled person in one's family and these people were often kept hidden away indoors, our children's participation in municipal events and festivals has become something that they themselves and the rest of the citizens look forward to and treasure every time. The children and young adults who attend our daycare have truly flourished, and that makes all of the difficulties that we as an organisation have faced worthwhile. We have visited local schools to give interactive lessons, we consult and inform the families of differently abled children, and as far as our resources allow, we advocate for improvements in the regulatory and legal environment.

Bethesda's work with and for those living with disabilities could not be possible without the support of private persons and organisations such as your congregation. As know, the state does not fund civil organisations such as ours, and municipal funding, which was already insufficient even to cover our skeletal operations, has become yet more meagre since the financial crisis. There are also very few international organisations who maintain relevant programmes in Serbia. The support of Amherst Congregational UCC has both been a great material help that has directly benefited disabled children in need and has made all the difference to their quality of life, and a source of comfort in knowing that we have friends so far away who have thought of us, who send spiritual support and who care.

With all our thanks and kind regards,

Anna Dimitríjevics

President, Bethesda Humanitarian Organisation