For Easter, the Dana Voiculescu Foundation mobilizes the community to support vulnerable children. Between March 9 and March 23, the Dana Voiculescu Foundation is running the Easter holiday campaign „Dress and Shoe a Child for Easter,” an initiative through which hundreds of children from disadvantaged communities will receive new clothes and shoes.
The campaign is inspired by the Christian tradition that on the night of the Resurrection it is good to wear new clothes to church — a symbol of renewal, dignity, and hope.
351 children at the starting point of this edition
This year, the campaign is taking place in the counties of Prahova, Buzău, and Ilfov — communities facing significant hardship, where material deprivation is compounded by deep social vulnerabilities. The program begins with 351 beneficiaries, but according to the experience of previous years, the number of supported children increases significantly by the end of the campaign.
The Foundation’s team has conducted field visits and assessed the children’s situations in collaboration with local partners — schools and churches — which will remain alongside the organization throughout the entire campaign until the gifts are distributed.
Realities no child should have to experience
The children included in the program come from environments marked by severe difficulties: single-parent families where one parent tries to cover, with minimal resources, food, utilities, and medical needs; households where children are raised by grandparents with small pensions and health problems; large families with four, five, or more children sharing the same limited resources; and situations on the verge of school dropout due to the lack of appropriate clothing, the distance to school, or household responsibilities.
For many of these children, Easter does not mean new clothes or gifts, but simply the hope that someone will think of them. Behind every name is a sensitive story and the natural desire to wear new clothes, at least once, on a holiday.
„In our field visits, we encounter realities that are painful and should not be part of any child’s childhood. We meet children from single-parent families where one parent struggles, with minimal resources, to provide food, clothing, and necessary medication. Often, income barely covers utilities, meals are insufficient, and clothes are worn for years, passed down from one sibling to another. We also meet children raised by elderly grandparents with small pensions and health issues. Love and emotional stability exist, but financial possibilities are extremely limited. School supplies, season-appropriate clothing, or additional educational activities unfortunately become a luxury. There are children on the verge of dropping out of school. The distance to school, lack of proper clothing, or even a packed lunch often leads to frequent absences. Some take care of younger siblings while their parents search for work. Others live with sick parents or parents without stable income, and household responsibilities weigh heavily on their fragile shoulders. In many families there are four, five, or even more children sharing the same room and the same limited resources. The lack of food, proper clothing for the cold season, and an adequate study space affects not only physical health but also self-confidence and motivation for education. Access to education is often fragile — without internet, without a desk for homework, without support to catch up with school material. And yet, despite all these hardships, these children want to learn, succeed, and overcome their circumstances. Behind every situation there is a different story, but they all share one common denominator: deep vulnerability and an urgent need for support. That is why we believe every gesture of solidarity matters and can truly change a child’s trajectory,” said Dana Voiculescu, founder of the Foundation.
Personalized support: each donor can choose a child
A defining element of the campaign is its personalized component. Donors can choose one or more children to dress and provide shoes for Easter, and will receive from the Foundation’s team all the details regarding sizes and specific needs for each beneficiary.
After identifying the communities, the team collects information about each child — clothing and shoe sizes, as well as specific needs — so that the support provided is adapted and relevant.
Packages can be:
- sent by courier to the Foundation’s headquarters, or
- delivered directly to the Foundation’s headquarters (for donors in Bucharest).
In the week before Easter, the Foundation’s team will personally travel to the selected communities to distribute the gifts to the children.
„The campaign „Dress and Shoe a Child for Easter” means more than clothes and shoes — it restores the dignity of a child who, most of the time, lives in conditions that are difficult to imagine. This year we are strengthening the field assessment component and expanding collaboration with schools and churches in Prahova, Buzău, and Ilfov to ensure that help reaches exactly where it is most needed. We want every donor to feel that they are making a real difference by choosing a specific child and offering personalized support. Behind every beneficiary is a life story marked by vulnerability, but also by the sincere desire to go to school, to succeed, and to have a chance. Through all the campaigns we run within the Foundation, we try not only to provide material support, but also to send a message to those we help — that they are not alone, that someone sees them, hears them, and supports them,” said Dana Voiculescu, founder of the Foundation.
Call for donors
The Dana Voiculescu Foundation invites everyone who can bring hope and joy into a child’s life to join this initiative of generosity. The Foundation’s team provides all the necessary details for involvement and coordination, ensuring that each contribution reaches directly the child who needs it.
Registration form:
https://fundatiadanavoiculescu.ro/imbraca-si-incalta-un-copil-de-paste/
This Easter, a heartfelt gesture can mean dignity, joy, and a brighter beginning for a child.
The Dana Voiculescu Foundation is a non-governmental organization that supports children, elderly people, and animals through educational, humanitarian, and social programs. Through projects such as the Caravan of Solidarity, the Foundation has reached dozens of communities across the country, bringing not only material aid but also hope, respect, and dignity.
Author: Ioana Andrei
Photo: The Dana Voiculescu Foundation
