www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
2014
CHARITY ORGANIZATION SERBS FOR SERBS
Monthly Report for October www.serbsforserbs.org
Monthly Report for October
Monthly Report No. 10 October, 2014 Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS Website: www.serbsforserbs.org E-Mail: office@serbsforserbs.org
Monthly Report for October Dear friends and donors, Charity organization Serbs for Serbs registered in the state of Illinois in United States in Jun 2010 by the group of the Serbian youth. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs is a 501(c)(3) notfor-profit charitable organization. Donation is tax-deductible to the extent followed by the law. On 30th September, 2011 we finally got the letter from department of the treasury (IRS) with tax exempt 501(c)3 approval. All donations to our organization donated from June 16, 2010 are tax deductible under section 170 of the Code. We are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers of gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.
About Us The mission of Charity organization Serbs for Serbs is to affect on consciousness of Americans, Serbs and their friends through planned projects, social and humanitarian activities in order to develop and foster better society for future generations and provide aid for underprivileged families in need. Although there are many humanitarian organizations and associations, help often doesn't reach the most jeopardized. Due to unnecessary administration, missing information and slow decision making, the delivery of aid arrives too late to the final consumers, or not at all. It is a sad and embarrassing, but true fact that more than 18.000 children daily die around the world because of starvation and malnutrition. There, among us, the blind and deaf. We are witnesses of the bad demographic situation of our nation, decreasing natality, increasing number of singles, abortions, accelerated aging of
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 the population and generally bad economic condition of the households in Serbia, Republic of Srpska and other countries in the Balkan. An average couple has "fallen" on one child. Analysts warn that Serbs will become a minority in its own country in the following century if the nation, individuals and government don't wake up from the nescient in which they've fallen! On the other hand, nobody is talking about the families with many children which grieve by living in bitter poverty. Occupied by their everyday struggle for survival, they are being humbly in their desire for implementing rights which belong to them. Their life stories, fears and problems are identical, but almost invisible and unheard in order to gain the attention of the public, media and even state. That's why the idea of the Charity organization Serbs for Serbs arose. The organization was formed by a group of young and trustful people, who are united by the common vision of helping families blessed by many children and who are aware of the fact that even a small help means a lot for those who don't live in a material excess. We are united by the humane idea to help the poorest part of the Serbian nation. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs try to revive the spiritless energy of the Serbian Diaspora which would be able to reinforce people of Serbian heritage as well as all good people throughout the world with minimal, but constant monthly donations. We hope and believe that there is also a grain of doing good and that you will join us in the endless struggle against poverty. God bless and save all Serbian families with many children and our honored donors who participate in the noble effort to return smile on children faces.
CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE!
www.serbsforserbs.org
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October Ambitions
Our mission The mission of Charity organization Serbs for Serbs is to affect on consciousness of Serbian people through our projects and humanitarian activities, in order to develop better society for future generations. Why Serbs for Serbs? We wanted to alleviate impaired spirit of Serbian people in togetherness and brotherhood help through humanitarian work and social aid. Who do we help? We help Serbian families who live in the Balkans, have five or more children and live in terrible poverty. Under terrible poverty we define absence of one or more basic factors required for living: food, clothes, shoes, and safe space for living.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Who do we need in organization? We need members and donors that will secure financial stability through supporting our programs and activities in the future. Donors may join our daily activities within the organization in order to coordinate our work better. We also need volunteers ready to donate several hours per week for actual work within the organization. Activities of volunteers and their specific tasks would be determined by the required projects and their personal interest. From that group of volunteers we would look for future leaders of organization.
How to donate? 1. PayPal donation: szsamerika@gmail.com 2. Direct Deposit to Wells Fargo Bank account Please email us at: szsamerika@gmail.com 3. You can mail personal or business check to: Serbs for Serbs PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 4. Donation boxes: BEOGRAD CAFÉ 2937 West Irving Park Road Chicago, Illinois Owner: Dule Pavlovic
Why do we help? We believe that there is a basic need for one human (or a group) to help others in distress. A help is not only human virtue but also a Christian responsibility. By focusing our help on families with many children, we directly affect on their stirring toward becoming independent from socialdependable government programs.
NADA’S DELI & BAKERY 7316 West Lawrence Avenue Harwood Heights, Illinois
What are our long term goals? • family is ready to support itself daily and manage to pay all required expenses; • their children are encouraged to continue with school and raising their own family; • our donors are satisfied with the activities and they are ready to help other families; • our organization is satisfied with the results; • family is ready in the future to become our donor and if necessary help other families that are in need of help.
COMPASS FUEL STATION 8147 Joliet Road McCook, Illinois Owner: Roy and Maria Dobrasinovic
BALKAN BAKERY 541 South LaGrange Road LaGrange, Illinois Owner: Olja Igic
ST. NIKOLA CHURCH 4301 Prairie Ave. Brookfield, Illinois CITY FRESH MARKET 3201 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
GREAT HELP FOR SMALL SCHOOL IN VRSAC
One of the groups from small school in Vrsac (September 2013.)
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs delivered a large donation to a small school "Branko Radunkovic - Will does wonder" from Vrsac. This school supports children from 3 - 7 years in their education and schooling. Also, school with its professional staff helps parents who cannot afford to pay professional help for their developmentally disabled children. Worth of this donation were 249.075 dinars, that included setting heating system for the entire school.
Heating system is connected to Vrsac's gas network, and that means a pleasant stay for parents and children throughout year. Last preparations of interior are being done, so this school could welcome new groups of children in October.
Zoran Vucetic (left), director of the small school "Branko Radunkovic - Will does wonders" and the priest Nedeljko Vasiljevic who gives extensive logistical and spiritual assistance to all volunteers who are involved in work round this school.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs invites all donors and relevant governmental institutions to help providing this school with necessary learning material, equipment, so teachers could work with children. Contact e-mail malaskolavrsac@gmail.com
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October AID HAVE ARRIVED FOR OKILJ FAMILY
Members of Charity organization Serbs for Serbs from Republika Srpska have helped six members of Okilj family from village Pticjak near Rogatica. Members of this family are parents Dragan and Gordana, with children Andjela (age 5), Nikola (age 3), Andrea (age 2) and baby Kristian who is 9 months old. Okilj family house was burned in end of June 2014, and at the moment they live in Pale, in old home of Gordanas mother, where most needed article was wood stove which we have provided for 490,00 KM.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Tragedy was evaded because their neighbor noticed fire and has alarmed residents to leave, so luckily they were able to evacuate children from burning house. When firefighters have arrived, they were only able to minimize consequences.
Gordana with her children and her mother next to the new wood stove Dragan Okilj was brought to Rogatica by war. His family somehow managed to purchase that house where he now lives with his unmarried wife Gordana Pandurevic and four of their children. Gordana brought to life Andjela when she was 17 years old, being together with Dragan who was 19 at the time. Our donor from Italy helped Gordana and her baby via our organization by wardrobe and baby equipment. Since they managed to build their home near Rogatica, we didn’t have information about them until this disaster when we were contacted by their local Red Cross. Since then, Gordana with her children has returned to her mother in Pale where they live in Muslim house in very difficult conditions.
Burned house of Okilj family On Saturday to Sunday night, 28th to 29th June last year, about 03:30 AM, house of Dragan Okilj family in village Pticjak near Rogatica was burned.
Old stove in house of Gordanas mother
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October Dragan had stayed on ruins of their home for the first time, trying to make some benefits since mayor of Rogatica has promised them help in building/repairing the house. Since the fire has burned their personal documentation, Dragan wasn’t able to open bank account for receiving donations, and since everything prolonged he also moved to his mother-in-law, where he tries to feed his family working on forest clearing. When paperwork gets done, and winter passes, he will go back to repair his house.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Two of them, and four of their little children, didn’t live well even before this disaster. None of them has a job, and they live on children aid. Since Gordana had stepped in this out of wedlock family as a minor, she and her children are under care of social service. Dragan himself was raised without family, so he was also as a kid under care of social service. So life was never easy on them. Since a lot of urgent necessities was collected by organization Red Cross, Gordana has asked our organization to provide them with wooden stove. Stove her mother had been already beyond any repair, and winter has already come. Dragan wasn’t home during whole day, because he is working from dawn ‘til dusk. Family Okilj is thankful to our donors, and Dragan said: „I don’t know what to say, thank dear God that our children are alive and healthy! I believe in good people and in God, there is nothing else I can believe in“.
Andjela (age 5), Nikola (age 3), Andrea (age 2) Bathroom where children are bathed now
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October AID HAVE ARRIVED FOR ARSIC FAMILY
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 During distributing our heaters and dryers to the families who were struck by May floods, we have heard about this big Serbian family. In part of their settlement, there have been built a levy made of sand bags, so water luckily didn’t get into houses. If it did, since all objects are temporary, everything would collapse. Arsic family lives on 74 KM of social aid for children. Father works on construction sites whenever he can find job, because there is no steady employment.
Members of Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs” from Republka Srpska have visited nine members of Arsic family in refugee camp Modricko Polje 2 near Modrica. Sladjan and Milijana are raising seven children aged 5 months to 10 years in alternative housing (barracks built for refugees). “Serbs For Serbs” have delivered food to Arsic family valued at 200 KM, means for personal hygiene, and with help of “ Kolo of Serbian Sisters” big amount of child clothes, dippers and hygiene products for youngest member of the family.
Volunteers of “Serbs for Serbs” have agreed with priest from Modrica to soon give baptism for young Arsic children who haven’t been baptized yet for financial issues. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October THE NEW BARN FOR FAMILY LAZOVIC
Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS conducted another one in a series of projects of helping families with five or more children in Serbia. This time the aim was to build a new barn for meeting the economic needs of refugee family Lazovic from Kosovo and Metohija, which settled in a village of Garasi near Arandjelovac.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Two years ago Lazovic family bought a house in a village of Garasi, near Topola, along with two hectares of land. They live in an old house which they only recently manage to connect to public electricity and water supply systems, and do not even have a bathroom. The family lives of the children's allowance, which amounts 12,600 RSD per month, and occasional father's wages.
The new barn in the household will be a serious source of income for the family in the future
The total value of the purchased materials for barn construction amounts 321,737.00 RSD. Lazovic family is planning to start a business of raising sheep on their farm that will provide them with a secure income in the future. Parents Zeljko and Milena have five children: Andjela (14), Jovana (14), Ana (9), Sekula (3) and Nina (3).
Previous appearance of the shed that was completely demolished
The youngest members of Lazovic family – twins Sekula and Nina get their works on the barn finished
Work on the construction of a new barn
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
The final look of the barn and happy children
Four daughters Andjela, Jovana, Ana and Nina with their brother Sekula during construction works
Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS urges all donors and friends of organization around the world to support all future projects to help socially vulnerable families throughout Serbia and the Balkans so as many children as possible can have a decent present and better future, and parents could have a chance to work independently and earn the money which would help them in satisfying the needs of their families.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SFS HELPED FLOODED ONES IN KRUPANJ
Washing machine was presented to Damnjanovic family
Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS presented on 4th October, in Krupanj, valuable humanitarian help to 17 families with minor children, whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the May floods and landslides. As part of the humanitarian action FIGHT AGAINST FLOODS, help was presented in the form of 7 combined fridge-freezers, 7 freezers, 5 washing machines, 4 electric stoves and one wood-burning stove, of the total value of Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS 657,069 RSD. For this action donations were obtained from companies Avis to Eastern Europe and Elsys Eastern Europe from Belgrade.
Washing machine and refrigerator for family Grujisic
Kojic family was presented with a stove All appliances are from Gorenje Company, with a five year warranty, while delivery of goods was carried out by friends and sponsors of our organization from Tehnomanija.
Lukic family was presented with a freezer
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 14. Stefanovic D. (refrigerator) – 27,990 RSD (4 children) 15. Petrovic Z. (wood stove, chest freezer) – 51,389 RSD (2 children) 16. Blagojevic R. (washing machine, fridge) – 57,980 RSD (2 children) 17. Miladinovic Z. (fridge, upright freezer) – 57,980 RSD (5 children)
Stove was donated to Kovacevic family
Lukic family was presented with a washing machine and a fridge
Stove and refrigerator for family Petrovic Below is a list of aided families from Krupanj, help donated, as well as its value: 1. Kojic R. (stove) – 21,990 RSD (3 children) 2. Micic A. (washing machine) – 29,990 RSD (2 children) 3. Kostadinovic D. (chest freezer) – 27,990 RSD (2 children) 4. Damjanovic D. (washing machine) – 29,990 RSD (4 children) 5. Grujicic Z. (washing machine and fridge) – 57,980 RSD (2 children) 6. Lukic S. (chest freezer) – 27,990 RSD (2 children) 7. Jaksic B. (chest freezer) – 27,990 RSD (2 children) 8. Kovacevic R. (stove) – 21,990 RSD (2 children) 9. Petrovic S. (stove, fridge) – 49,980 RSD (3 children) 10. Lukic M. (upright freezer) – 29,990 RSD (3 children) 11. Lukic D. (fridge, washing machine) – 57.980 RSD (2 children) 12. Antonic S. (upright freezer) – 29,990 RSD (3 children) 13. Popovic N. (stove, fridge) – 49,980 RSD (3 children)
The terrible scenes that remained after floods and landslides
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
The terrible scenes that remained after floods and landslides A wood stove and chest freezer were delivered to family Petrovic
Delivery of aid Family Miladinović thank donors for received help
Stefanovic family was provided with a fridge
Great action FIGHT AGAINST FLOODS continues. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs invites all fraternal organizations, donors and good people in Serbia and around the world to join, by sending payments in accordance with their economic capabilities to some of the accounts of the organization – www.srbizasrbe.org/donacije. Also, we invite you to look at the report on submitted help to Paracin, Trstenik, Valjevo, Kraljevo, Obrenovac, Svilajnac and Veliki Crljeni. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SFS DELIVERED AID TO KINDERGARTEN IN UB
President of the Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS Igor Rasula (on the right) in front of a new electric stove in the kindergarten kitchen in Ub.
Representatives of Charity organizations SERBS FOR SERBS delivered on Thursday, 9th October, a valuable humanitarian aid for Preschool Institution Ub from Ub as part of the action FIGHT AGAINST FLOODS. Kindergarten and the entire existing infrastructure were destroyed in the recent May floods that hit Ub. Help from our organization involved the procurement of new electric stove and 100 liters electric cauldron for cooking for kitchen needs of a total value of 762,980 RSD. Part of this dedicated donation was provided by Serbian children in primary and secondary schools from New Zealand, who wanted to help some of the destroyed kindergartens.
Also, a 100 liters electric cauldron for cooking was donated for the needs of kindergarten kitchen.
New cauldron will provide enough food for the needs of children in kindergarten in Ub
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
We thank our friends from the company Kogast, Belgrade who approved the discount for the purchase of cauldron and stove, transportation, servicing and complete installation and putting into operation of these kitchen appliances.
As a form gratitude to all individuals, organizations and companies that in any way donated and helped rebuild the kindergarten in Ub, the play was organized in the Cultural Center in Ub, by the children and their teachers, who recited and sang on the stage. After the play, awards were given to all the prominent donors including also the representatives of Charity organization Serbs for Serbs.
President of the organization SERBS FOR SERBS Igor Rasula with acknowledgments received from the kindergarten and the children who attend this preschool institution in Ub.
CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE!!! Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October MORE THAN A MILLION EUROS FOR THE CHILDREN
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Glas: “What principle are your donations based on?“ Rasula: “Donations are, primarily collected by the official account of every registered branch of our organization. Moreover, a great number of donors around the world use electronic system for donations, on our official internet site, www.srbizasrbe.org. There are also donation boxes, sport events which we organize (such as “Trojka iz bloka”), charity dinners, selling T-shirts with Serbian landmarks, etc. “ Glas: “How do you determine who will get the donation and how big are average donations? “
“We’re trying to help the families by providing some basic living conditions, as well as job opportunities, which people could use to earn money for their needs, in time, relying on their own strengths and personal involvement ”, said Igor Rasula, the president of the Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs”, in the interview for “Glas Srpske”. The whole interview may be read in the text following the news. Glas : “How much money have you collected so far? Are the Serbs ready to help one another in times of trouble?” Rasula: “Working up till now, “Serbs for Serbs”organization has collected more than a million euros in donations, certainly the most in the last few months since the project “The fight against the floods”, has been started, this year mid May.
Rasula: “Serbs for Serbs” help is delivered exclusively in goods, according to the needs of the families and their children. So, there are no money donations. We try to provide the families with the basic living conditions, as well as job opportunities which people could use to earn money for their needs, in time, relying on their own strengths and personal involvement. The process of determining who will be helped and how much, begins with the representative of the organization, who visits the family and together with them makes the list of the most needed household items. The amounts of the donations per family vary, but on average, it’s 800 euro’s. We provide help with equipping and reconstructing houses, agriculture, animal husbandry, land cultivating machines, water and electricity supplying, stable reconstructions, etc. “
Serbian people are definitely ready to help the families in need, but only when the help is distributed in a transparent and honest way”. Glas: “What is the feeling you get when you help the families which are at the edge of existence, is that the reason why this organization exists? “ Rasula: The feeling of being helpful to the socially degraded families is the leading force of our organization, so as to turn their difficult present into a brighter future. That is exactly the reason for our organization’s fight to ensure better future for the children.” Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October Glas: “How many donations have you distributed to Republika Srpska so far? “ Rasula: “Thanks to numerous members of the “Serbs for Serbs “organization from Republika Srpska, with Mrs. Dobrina Kusmuk as the president, the organization has helped about a hundred families all around Srpska, with more than 150.000 euro, over the last nine years. We have mostly helped families with five or more children who live in the country or the suburbs. Glas: “How can people ask for your help? “ Rasula: “The best way for a family to look for help from us is on our website, www.srbizasrbe.org, electronic mail szsrepublikasrpska@gmail.com , or on our facebook account, www.facebook.com/srbizasrbe. Glas: “If someone wishes to join your organization, how can it be done? How can people from Republika Srpska donate money? “ Rasula: “In our organization, there’s no official membership in a sense that people pay a membership fee, or have their membership cards. Absolutely everyone is welcome to our organization, anyone who can and wants to contribute to providing help for the poor families all around Srpska. The contact itself is made with our people on the field. As for donations, people from Republika Srpska can support our organization’s projects by giving payments to the KM account: 5688061340001652. Glas: “You have been awarded many times for your humanitarian work. Which of them are your favorites? “ Rasula: “We definitely love most those that we get from the kids of the families that we helped, in the form of drawings and paper collages. Besides, I’d like to point out the blessing of the Serbian patriarch, Mr. Irinej, which we got in 2010, as well as the special award of the Serbian Orthodox church, received in 2014. We have received numerous Thank- you- papers from the Orthodox Church eparchies, mayors, Serbian communities, etc. Glas: “How long does your organization exist and what is its goal? “ Rasula: “Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs” has existed since 2005, when the Serbs all around the world gathered primarily around the idea that the Serbs living all over the planet help Serbian families in need, especially those with five or more children in Serbia,
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Republika Srpska and the Balkans in general. At the beginning, the organization acted informally, but in the following years, the official committees in Serbia, Republika Srpska, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the United States were formed. “ “Serbs for Serbs”in Republika Srpska Glas: “Does your organization have its representatives in Republika Srpska do you get donations from Republika Srpska? “ Rasula: “The organization “Serbs for Serbs “is officially registered in Republika Srpska since 2008. Its base is in Pale, but there are many members and volunteers in Prijedor, Doboj, Banja Luka, Lopare, Bijeljina, Visegrad, etc. Donations are also given on monthly level from the dozens of donors from Republika Srpska, and, thanks to the good cooperation with Pale municipality, our organization enjoys the humble financial support from the municipality itself. “ House for the Zivkovic family The organization “Serbs for Serbs” from Republika Srpska has started the humanitarian project of building a house for the six member Ilic family from Doboj. The Ilic family consists of father Radoslav, mother Nada, their children Dragan and Dragana, daughter-in-law Tatjana and grandson Sergej. They lived as subtenants in the house which was destroyed in the floods, and now they’ve bought a stretch of land close to the place they’re living in at the moment. In the humanitarian organization “Serbs for Serbs” they said they’ll help the Ilic family with providing the material for the house building, so that this family gets the roof over their heads by wintertime. Tractor This humanitarian organization has donated a used tractor, 8000 KM worth, to the Gluhovic family, at the end of August. Nenad and Maja Gluhovic have nine underage children and they cultivate 40 acres of land. For years, they’ve done it all manually. They are hard working, so they go and work at their neighbors’ land for daily wages. In most cases, they don’t get paid for their work, they get firewood or hay instead. When we first visited them, they asked, if possible, that we buy them a tractor, so they could earn enough for living. It was done.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT OF HELP FOR ANTIC FAMILY
Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs” has brought to an end another big project. The project of help for the Antic family from the village of Drenovac, near Vranje, aimed for the Antic family to get relocated from an old, unsafe and inappropriate house to nearby Golemo Selo, where we provided them with a house and an estate, together with the necessary countryside household facilities. The house and the estate are 15.000 euros worth. Members of the Antic family, parents Novica and Dusanka, children Miljana (16), Aleksandar (15), Stefana (9) and Dimitrije (7), were given a Moto cultivator with additional mechanization, electric chainsaw, firewood cooker, freezer, flour sacks, chicken food, those from the donation collected at Easter concert (2.835 CHF), organized by the Association of the Serbian students in Switzerland.
An old house which was prone to collapsing, in the village of Drenovac
“Serbs for Serbs”, while giving out the first payment checks for the new Antic home in Golemo Selo. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
A bit more than a year ago, the Antic family lived in a mountain village of Drenovac, near Vranje, in some of the worst and most inhumane conditions that the humanitarian organization “Serbs for Serbs” has ever seen. A house made of mud, which was on the verge of collapsing any moment, one functional room, without any tables or chairs, two old beds in which all of the six members of the Antic family slept taking turns.
Having been informed about the terrible living conditions of this family, the humanitarian organization “Serbs for Serbs” started a big project of buying the Antic family some new household, so as to provide them with the brighter future.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Members of the Antic family in their new household Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs”, together with the help of many donors worldwide, who joined this project, provided: household purchase in a nearby village, two folding beds, two quilts, basic provisions, two goats, five hens, freezer, firewood cooker, electric chainsaw, four sacks of flour, four sacks of chicken food, and a Moto cultivator with additional mechanization.
A Moto cultivator with additional mechanization will make everyday agricultural work easier
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
With buying a Moto cultivator with additional mechanization, as well as a chainsaw, we planned to provide the family with the starter resources for making money themselves, and for being independent, in such a way that they could live out of their own work.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Stefana and Dimitrije with mother Dusanka, standing by their new firewood cooker.
Donations in flour, chicken food and electric chainsaw
We are inviting all people of good will to keep supporting the work of the Charity organization “Serbs for Serbs�, so as to help and make many children in need happy. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SERBS FOR SERBS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
A monument to Milos Obilic recently placed in the center of Gracanica
Members of the Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS visited 25 families in Kosovo and Metohija enclaves within new major campaign to help the remaining Serbian people. The estimated value of the overall help that is to be delivered to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, including support to soup kitchens, amounts to around € 27,000.
SERBS FOR SERBS with Stankovic family in front of their family home in Gracanica After that we visited family of Dragan and Marina Stojanovic, who raise five underage kids: Andjela (13), Strahinja (11), Nikola (7), Jana (6) and Ognjen (2).
Order of the “Majka devet Jugovica” for the deceased wife of Sveta Stankovic With the generous help of friends from the Diocesan charity organization "Majka devet Jugovica", without whose help it would not be possible to carry out the charity activities on this scale, we first visited families in Gracanica. The visit began at the home of the single father Sveta Stankovic. Mother Marina and little Ognjen Stojanovic in her arms Without wife who recently passed away, Sveta is raising his four children: Slavisa (18), Dejan (17), Jasmina (11) and Miljana (3). After a short conversation it was indicated to us that they need the most two double wardrobes and mattresses for children's beds.
This family lives in really difficult circumstances. Stojanovic family need a wood burning stove, a wardrobe, two bunk beds with mattresses, bath, toilet seat and a few goats for breeding.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Harsh life stories of Kosovo Serbs continue to follow us also in Dobrotin in Trajkovic family. This family consists of grandma Gordana and grandpa Grujica, parents Dragan and Sanja and their four minor children: Miljan (12), Milica (13), Andjela (8) and Ilija (5). Father Dragan is bedridden due to a stroke, which he experienced recently, as well as due to a serious car accident that left huge consequences, when a car driven by Albanian ran into him, while the driver has gone unpunished for this accident.
Icons awarded to families, the gift of the Church of St. George from Banovo Brdo The last family we visited at the area of Gracanica is a family of Stosic Zoran and Ruzica who live in a household with two children: Dragisa (26) and Slobodan (21). For them, help in the form of a table and chairs was provided. After Gracanica we come to Jovanovic family in the village of Livadje. In this family we witnessed perhaps the most difficult situation. Jovanovic family consists of parents Rodoljub and Ivana and son Lazar (9). Mother Ivana is mentally ill, while the cause of Lazar’s disease, characterized by difficulty in walking and undeveloped speech, is still unknown. For this family we provided a bed, wardrobe, refrigerator and a few hens for breeding.
Mother Ivana and son Lazar in front of their family home in the village of Livadje
Dragan, the father, and Grandmother Gordana Trajkovic live in very difficult conditions Unfortunately, the youngest member of this family also has certain problems, because he did not yet developed the power of speech. According to difficult life circumstances in which this family live, we intended for them: four beds, a wood burning stove, refrigerator and two wardrobes.
The hand of encouragement for little Ilija Trajkovic who has not yet spoken
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October We continue with witnessing the inhuman living conditions of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, which as a result bring famine, pestilence and disease. Unfortunately, all this largely affect the youngest, which certainly did not deserve such a childhood. In the village of Donja Gusterica we arrive to household of Milivojevic family comprised of parents Dejan and Jelena and their two kids Lazar (6) and Marija (3). It is worth noting that in Dejan’s four brothers and his parents also live in this larger household.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 In the village of Bostane (Municipality Novo Brdo) we visited two families. Family of Stankovic Ljubisa and Ivana and their three little children – Aleksandar (12), Anastasija (8) and Pavle (4), and we decided to help them through procurement of interior doors, kitchen cabinets and bunk beds with mattresses for children, since part of the house was caught by a fire a few months ago.
Pavle Stankovic shows his bed and the room where he sleeps A group photo in front of the house of Milivojevic family When we were in visit to Milivojevic family we found out that Lazar and Marija suffer from muscular dystrophy, which prevents them from normal movement. We will try to ease the difficult circumstances under which Milivojevic family live, by providing them with two beds, a water heater, two wardrobes, wood burning stove and tiles for bathroom.
Not far from them we visited a hard-working family of Pavic Bojan and Radica. The family also includes three underage kids: Milan (13), Marina (11) and Marijana (8). This family is successful in breeding goats. In order to improve their production and enable a better life for themselves and their children they asked us to help them with building materials for the barn in which they could hold a number of new goats.
Little Lazar and Marija with the icon of St. Athanasius the Great
Marijana Pavic shows her puppies
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 In the village of Koretiste we are welcomed by family of Savic Milovan and Marina. They have two children, Andjelina (7) and Sofija (1.5). We found out that Savic family expects a baby soon, so we will help this young returnee family with wood burning stove, washing machine and two couches.
SERBS FOR SERBS together with Pavic family in the family yard
The old town and fortress – Novo Brdo Returnee family Savic in front of their family home The road leads us further to the village Kmetovce. This young Naskovic family consists of parents Bojan and Olgica and little children Milivoje (8) and Emilija (6). As most needed Naskovic family indicated: bunk beds with mattresses, washing machine and a wood burning stove.
Gifted icon of St. Cosmas and Damian, which celebrated by Savic family
Mother Olgica and son Milivoje with representatives of the organization SERBS FOR SERBS
We also visited the village of Zebince where we found another four-member family. Filipovic Zivorad and Vesna live with their two children, Andjela (12) and Aleksa (9). Filipovic family has indicated that currently the most needed appliances in their home are fridge, freezer, two sofa bed and an electric stove.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Filipovic family and SERBS FOR SERBS in front of the family home in the village of Zebince Also planned for receiving help is family of Milanovic Dejan and Jana from the Kosovo Morava Region, namely from the village of Sipasnica, who live in a household with two children. We were unable to visit Milanovic family personally, but on the recommendation of our friends from the “Majka devet Jugovica” we will provide them an electric stove. We were then hosted by our friends from “Majka devet Jugovica” in the soup kitchen in the village of Prekovce. In addition to discussions about the current state of the needs of soup kitchens and generally about the life of our remaining people in the southern Serbian province, we agreed to help in the form of purchasing two cooling devices worth € 4700, in order to put cold storages into use, and thus improve the services of soup kitchens.
Cold storages will be used for storing agricultural products that are grown on 15 hectares of church land in Kosovo and Metohija and through their sales soup kitchens will be able to acquire necessary funds for the purpose of procurement of flour, oil and sugar.
Two cold storages delivered for the needs of soup kitchens in Novo Brdo Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October Not far away, in the same village, we visited the family of Milic Vitomir and Leposava. Their son Aleksandar (28) returned from the Central Serbia to live with the family, while younger son Stefan (16) also lives within this household. Although not our target group, we put this family on the list for help because they once received into their humble home a single mother with her newborn baby to live with them for several years. Since they practically have no kitchen we plan to help them by procuring kitchen cabinets, tiles, sink and one wood stove.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Another family that we were unable to visit physically, while it is planned to help them in the form of agricultural machinery is Simonovic family from the village of Jasenovik. The household includes grandfather Miodrag Simonovic, grandmother Zivotka, father Ljubinko, mother Danijela and children: Sanja (12) and Stefan (10). They will be provided with the rotating tiller for IMT tractor.
Ljubinko and Miodrag Simonovic in front of the family home At the end of the first day we arrived to a friend in Orahovac where we used the opportunity to visit the young couple, Kujundzic Janko and Ana, whom we helped by buying them a washing machine.
Milic family and SERBS FOR SERBS in front of their family home in the village of Prekovce In Novo Brdo planned for the delivery of help is the family of Kostic Ivan and Danijela who live in a household with four children: Aleksandra (12), Andjela (10), Andrija (5) and Irena (2). We will provide a plow for a tractor for the Kostic family. Janko and Ana Kujundzic from Metohija municipality of with a new washing machine
Kostic family on their farm in Novo Brdo
A group photo in front of the Decanska Vinica
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 The next Metohija village which we reached is Vidanje, where we visited the family of Milosevic Goran and Tanja who a few months ago returned permanently to their home. Their four sons Jovan (16), Petar (14), Branko (11) and Mihajlo (8) also live with them in the household. To make their new start in an old home somewhat easier we delivered them a washing machine and bedding.
The second day of the activities we begin on the Liturgy at Visoki Decani, where, with the help of the brotherhood of the monastery, we delivered assistance for several returnee families from Metohija.
Milosevic family from Vidanje received a donation in the form of washing machine
SERBS FOR SERBS in front of the Visoki Decani Monastery with father Peter The first family we visited is the Todorovic family from Gorazdevac, where in 2003 a massacre was committed against Serbian children by Albanian terrorists. Todorovic family has four little daughters: Ivona (10), Emilija (9), Ksenija (8) and Sofija (5). To this returnee family we have delivered aid in the form of refrigerator and wood burning stove.
Todorovic family from Gorazdevac got a refrigerator and a stove
In the village of Berkovo we visited family of Banjac Sava and Ljubinka, who live in a household with their son Vesko (21). Due to several thefts by Albanians from neighboring villages, suffered by this returnee family, the agreement is to help this family by purchasing 100m of fences and poles. After Berkovo road leads us to the village of Zac and family of Komatovic. We are helping another young returnee family consisting of parents Olivera and Slavisa and three underage kiddies: Denis (8), Andjela (5) and Nikolina (4) by providing them with an atypical type of help – delivery of metal poles and wire fence. In fact, almost all Metohija villages struggle with Shiptar thieves who target almost everything, from the larger livestock to agricultural mechanization. Similar, if not the worst situation is exactly in the village of Zac, so due to these reasons we were asked to help the Komatovic family in this way. We also stopped in Osojane where, in addition to spending time with friends of our organization we also met returnee family of Aleksandar Djuric. Aleksandar is a single father who is raising four small children: Andjela (16), Nikola (15), Anastasija (11) and Isidora (9). Aleksandar expressed his desire to engage in herding goats, and consequently we will procure the material needed for covering the stable for goats as well as three goats for breeding.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Romanovic family in front of the container in which they live
The plan is to install new washing machine near the container in which the family Romanovic lives Djurici from Osojane will soon expand their livestock In addition to Djuric family, visited on the recommendation of Tot family, we used the opportunity to visit them also and help Gabrijel and Silvana who live in an apartment with their three children: Andjela (15), Nevena (12) and Oliver (11). We provided them with 7m3 of firewood.
We add that help was delivered also to family of Milan Pavlovic from the Metohija village of Belo Polje, which we did not manage to visit. We helped his family by delivering stove, washing machine and refrigerator.
The last stop on our journey is the village of Tucep, where recently the family of Romanovic Radoje and Sanja returned. Another harsh Serbian story we witnessed. The family lives in one container, with their ill son Nikola (28), who was suffering from cerebral palsy. Mother Sanja is a psychiatric patient, while the father Radoje recently got his leg broken. Indeed many misfortunes happened to the Romanovic family. Our organization succeeded at least to partially improve the grim reality faced by this afflicted family by delivering them a washing machine and electric stove.
A wood burning stove, washing machine and refrigerator for Pavlovic family
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
As part of the overall campaign, a significant help will be provided to the family of Ivkovic Ivan from the village of Straza which we have visited several times in the past. In the shortest possible period of time Ivkovic family will be provided with material for the construction of the roof structure in the amount of € 3,000.
Unfinished house of the Ivkovic family in the village of Straza will soon get a roof In the southernmost enclave of Strpce, a valuable help was sent for the family household of Vuksanovic brothers, Milan and Voja. Milan with his wife Dragana has kids Bogoljub (11) and Nikola (13), while Voja with his wife Sonja has daughter Aleksandra (12). For the purpose of upgrading the family home we helped Vuksanovic family by procurement of construction materials, several windows and entrance doors in the amount of € 1,500.
Hard-working host Milan Vuksanovic is already upgrading his new house During visits to the families we shared a few bags of candies to the youngest members of families, 15 kilograms of honey, gift of friend of our organization Mr. Borisa from Guca, several packages of notebooks for school and a few icons, a gift from the church of St. George from Banovo Brdo. We successfully finished another humanitarian visit to Kosovo and Metohija enclaves. Unfortunately, the grim reality is day after day the grimmer for our people in Kosmet. In such circumstances, the poorest always suffer most, and with them the youngest who for no reason live their lives without carefree childhood. Survival based on irregular social assistance, a number of known and unknown diseases, food in soup kitchens that are day by day closer to closing, and questionable security situation are the characteristics of a life of Serbs in the heart of Serbia. Simply put people abandoned by mother are forced to seek alms from the evil stepmother. It will not be difficult for us as long as we exist, to work day and night to provide even to single Serbian child the simplest blanket under which it will be warm, if we couldn’t do more than that, but we will never stop helping our people, and especially young ones. NO SURRENDER!
Delivery of construction materials for the Vuksanovic family
SERBS FOR SERBS
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October BUNK BEDS FOR LITTLE MANDICS
Charity organization SERBS FOR SERBS helped seven-member Mandic family in the form of bunk beds with mattresses in the amount of RSD 37,300. Help was delivered to Cerenje, near Baljevac, in cooperation with friends from the organization “Friend’s hand” from Raska. Mandic family lives in a humble little house, quite old, which is not even their own. Mother Natasa lives with her children Milica (20), Katarina (13), Natalija (12) and Djordje (9), and works as geronto-housewife, and supports her family with her modest salary, which amounts to less than 20,000 dinars. Grandma and grandpa live together with their daughter and grandchildren.
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 Katarina, Natalija and Djordje go to primary school every day on foot. Snow and winter, which are coming soon, are not expected with too much joy in their house, due to the distance of school.
While visiting the family by volunteers from the organization “Friend’s hand”, in conversation with the little ones, we learned that they want new beds. With the help of workers from the furniture store “Iver” from Raska who helped in transporting and setting the beds, who also donated the fourth mattress to the family, little children received four new beds.
Bunk beds with mattresses for little Mandics
The oldest daughter Milica, enrolled in the second year of college, at the expense of the budget, lives in a dorm and if she was not such a good student, her education would be impossible.
From mother we found out that the children were eager to get new beds, and they were expecting us every day and that even when grandfather recently asked what to buy them as a gift, they said that they wanted new linens for new beds. We hope that this gift will brighten up winter days and nights, and in particular their modest dreams.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
FINISHED PROJECT FOR THE PUDAR FAMILY
Serbs for Serbs with family Pudar at the beginning of the project
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs successfully finished another big project whose goal was enlarging a family home, precisely building and completely furnishing a new storey with a bathroom for Pudar’s, a family of eight members from the village Buno near Mostar in Herzegovina. The members of this family are parents Jovan and Aleksandra with the children Aleksandar (9), Leonardo (9), Andjelo (3) and the baby Lorenzo, as well as the uncle Dalibor and grandmother Mladenka. The total value of the project was 14,335 KM. You can take a further look at the photo report of the construction work on the house of the Pudar family.
Received construction material prior to the begging of the project
Taking the roof of the one storey house First time at Pudar’s family
Building a new storey where the youngest Pudar’s will have their bedrooms Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Installing gutters to a new home the family Pudar Work in progress on the construction of houses for familie Pudar that helped Charity organization Serbs for Serbs
Building a roof construction on the house for family Pudar which have eight members
Working on the energy and utilities installations
Putting gutters on the new house the family whose construction Pudar makes life easier for these large families
Putting tiles in the new bathroom what was most looking forward to the youngest members of the family
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Thankful for help- Aleksandro, Andjelo and Leonardo Pudar
A new bathroom
Working on the laminate flooring
A current look of the new home of family Pudar
We are inviting all of the people of a good will to continue supporting the work of the Charity organization Serbs for Serbs and in that way help the big number of the children to whom the help is more than needed.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October THREE ORPHANS GOT THEIR HOUSE
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 With help of the people from Celinac, the land with the house of 1.600 meters squared is found near the center of the town, whose owner Nedzad Hota accepted to lower the price of the house for 10.000 KM and in that way helped that Zikovic children who wandered at cold rental condos finally get their warm home.
On Friday October 24th, the representatives of the Charity organization Serbs for Serbs visited the community Celinac in Serbian Republic where the action of buying a house for three orphans of the family Zivkovic was successfully carried out. In recent August flooding, Danijela (19), Bojan (16) and Nikolina (13) tragically lost their mother Petra who supported and took care of the family by herself. To help Zivkovic children to at least partially be able to take care of themselves alone in the future, organization Serbs for Serbs joined the action of collecting money for buying a house, which was initiated by the priest Daniel Ruzic from Banja Luka, and donated 20.000 KM, which is the half of the money needed for the house land in Celinac. President of the organization Igor Rasula received a thank you card from Zivkovic children. Also, the Celinac Township gave Daniela a job at the counter of the township building, which will provide some material security for Zivkovic’s in the upcoming period.
The future home of the family Zivkovic in Celinac Thanks to the sacrifice, persistence and fight for her family, the oldest Danijela got the custody for her brother Bojan and sister Nikolina. Next to our organization, a big number of good people from the Serbian Republic, Austria and from all over the world answered to the invitation of the father Ruzic to collect the donations for buying the house.
The total price of the house and the land was 40.000 KM, from which organization Serbs for Serbs donated 20.000 KM. The Charity organization Serbs for Serbs is inviting all friends and charity organizations to continue supporting the work and acts of our organizations, so that the much needed help could arrive to the as big as possible number of Serbian children around the Balkan. CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE!
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SFS HELPED IN VELIKI CRLJNI – PART TWO
A freezer was delivered to Mijativic’s On 25th of October in Veliki Crljeni, Charity organization Serbs for Serbs delivered a considerable humanitarian help for 10 families with underage children, whose homes were damaged in the May flooding.
A fridge/freezer was donated to family Dimitrijevic
A fridge and a freezer for family Simic
Family Stanojevic received a washer and a fridge
A fridge for family Drobac
In the action Fight against Floods, 7 fridges, 5 freezers and 3 washers were delivered, whose total value is 425.850 dinars.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 3. Mijatovic D. (freezer) – 27, 990 dinars (2 children) 4. Dimitrijevic D. (freezer) – 27 990 dinars (2 children) 5. Stojanovic S. (washer, fridge) - 57, 980 dinars (3 children)
Washer and fridge for family Stojanovic
6. Djordjevic Z. (washer, freezer) – 57,980 dinars (2 children) 7. Palvovic B. (fridge) – 27,990 dinars (3 children) 8. Lukic M. (fridge, freezer) – 55,980 dinars (2 children) 9. Maksic S. (fridge, freezer) – 55,980 dinars (2 children) 10. Tomic M. (washer) – 29,990 dinars (2 children)
Sisters Andrijana and Valentina Stojanovic are thankful to all donors around the world
A freezer for family Pavlovic
To family Djordjevic we gave a freezer and a washer Below is the list of the families from Great Crlajni who received help afterwards, with all of the values: 1. Simic Z. (fridge, freezer) – 55,980 dinars (2 children) 2. Drobac Z. (fridge) – 27,990 dinars (2 children)
Great action FIGHT AGAINST FLOODS continues. Charity organization Serbs for Serbs invites all fraternal organizations, donors and good people in Serbia and around the world to join, by sending payments in accordance with their economic capabilities to some of the accounts of the organization – www.srbizasrbe.org/donacije. Also, we invite you to look at the report on submitted help to Paracin, Trstenik, Valjevo, Kraljevo, Obrenovac, Svilajnac, Veliki Crljeni and Krupanj.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October SERBS FOR SERBS HELPED IN MONTENEGRO
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 An additional burden for her and for the parents is that as the Serbian citizens they do not have any rights for medical assistance except if they finance it themselves, which in their case is not possible, only for emergency needs. Father Mirko works for a wage at whatever he can do from agriculture to construction work, but he complains that the people that he works for are late with his pay, which is for people who are not registered workers and who are not the Montenegro citizens a common problem. Unfortunately it happens often in Montenegro that the workers from Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina remain unpaid.
On 23rd of October, the Charity organization Serbs for Serbs visited and helped two families who live in the refugee camp at Vrela Ribnichka near Podgorica in Montenegro. Family Milic was provided with fridgefreezer and family Bulatovic with the exercising equipment for daughter Teodora, who due to preterm birth suffers from muscle atrophy. Both families, expelled from Kosovo and Metochia, was helped with food and hygiene packages. The total value of the action was 1.000 euro.
Visiting family Bulatovic was very emotional, because in their eyes one could see the most sincere gratitude mixed with doubt that someone really asked them what they need, and not to mention help, as it has done the charity organization Serbs for Serbs with the help of their kind donors, to whom family Bulatovic is wholeheartedly thankful.
Miladin MIlic spends the majority of his day with the breathing machine
The members of Bulatovic family are parents Mirko and Svetlana, daughters Teodora and Miljana and grandmother Dragica. In this family, the assistance was provided for the daughter Teodora (born on 11/11/2003) who has muscle atrophy. The cause of it is a preterm birth at 6th month, three months premature, which left big consequences.
After visiting Bulatovic family I visited Milic’s, family of eight, photographed them and saw a still sad and gloomy picture of primarily the Miladin’s health condition; he spends the majority of his time attached to the machine that allows him to breathe. Talking to the family members and looking for some solutions for their situation, I heard that until end of the year the organizations UHNCP and HELP donate a construction material for the families who have their own land.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
Family Milic from Vrela Rinichka near Podgorica
New fridge for family Milic
The Charity organization Serbs for Serbs continue actions for helping Serbian families in Montenegro who live in very harsh socio-economic way, to whom every kind of support and assistance is more than needed. CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE! SERBS FOR SERBS Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SERBIAN DAY IN NEW YORK
Gathering Serbs in New York On Sunday, the 19th of October, the day celebrating St. Thomas the Apostle, the Serbs from New York gathered in the Temple of St. Sava in Manhattan. On the same day, Saint Patron’s day of the Circle of Serbian Sisters, a society which has been working and helping in this city, was also venerated.
It was this particular society that was the first to engage in collecting donations and fundraising activities with the aim of helping the families which were hit the most by the floods in Serbia and the Republic of Srpska during the summer. A congregation of about a hundred believers attended the church service and a festal lunch was attended by around seventy people. Among them was a member of a Charity organization ‘Serbs for Serbs’, Strahinja Matejic. Strahinja is a sophomore student of a prestigious Grinnell College in Iowa, who was staying in New York for the autumn holidays. The aim was to introduce this part of our Diaspora with our organization and distributing annual reports for the year 2013. The discussion was organized with the blessing of father Djokan and the rest of the clergy, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. A similar action was planned for Saturday, November 8th, on Great Martyr Dmitry’s day (Mitrovdan) in the Serbian Orthodox Church in Des Moines, Iowa. By doing this, the Humanitarian Organization ‘Serbs for Serbs’ wanted, above other things, to inform its donors of the work done in the previous year and the further scheduled projects as well as to connect the Diaspora with our organization and to affirm the assiduity in helping those who need help the most. We invite all donors, members, friends and supporters to, in accordance with their possibilities, be a part of the action Fighting the Floods aiming at providing the necessary humanitarian aid for the endangered areas in Serbia and the Republic of Srpska.
Strahinja Matejic front of the church of St. Sava in Manhattan
SERBS FOR SERBS!
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
NEW SUPPORT FROM SERBS FROM GERMANY
On Saturday, October 25, members of the Charity organization Serbs for Serbs from Germany attended the folklore event organized by Serbian Cultural Association from Ingolstadt. The event included folklore groups from the Bavarian cities. Special guests were from the Austrian city of Innsbruck and the Greek folklore group from Ingolstadt. At the stand provided for us by our hosts, we shared the infomaterial, equipment, annual reports and conducted the sale of T-shirts from our boutiques. In this action we raised the amount of EUR 270.
We sincerely thank all the donors who gave their contribution by buying T-shirts and donating thus helping our organization. NO SURRENDER! Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
SERBS FOR SERBS CHARITY SHOP
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October Donors in October : 1. Compass Fuel donation box (IL) - $ 29 2. Balkan Bakery donation box (IL) - $ 21 3. Beograd CafĂŠ donation box (IL) - $ 96 4. Nada's Deli & Bakery d. box (IL) - $ 34 5. St. Nikola, Brookfield d.box (IL) - $ 15 6. City Fresh Market d. box (IL) - $ 10 7. Bubamara cafe d. box (IL) - $ 10 8. Dan Kovacevic (IL) - $ 25 9. Srdjan Gavrilovic (GA) - $ 25 (for Aleksandar Filip) 10. www.usaserbs.net (IL) - $ 25 11. Zeljka Bucalo (NV) - $ 25 12. Tihomir Bajic (CA) - $ 100 13. Milan Dobras (AZ) - $ 15 14. Slav Karach (GA) - $ 25 15. Ivan Aksentijevich (MD) - $ 25 16. Employees of Bank of America - $ 600 17. Friends Academy - $ 300 18. Mirjana Hotomski - $ 70 19. Dragana J. Nikolic - $ 25 20. Frank Aurov - $ 15 21. Dragana Beara (CAN) - $ 50 22. Milen Tesic (IL) - $ 25 23. Ivan Radulovic (NY) - $ 25 24. Sasa Savic (TX) - $ 30 25. Irena Gumbert (CA) - $ 25 26. Aleksandar Micic (MO) - $ 15 27. Milan Zdrnja - $ 25 28. Vesna Kozomora (IL) - $ 25 29. Helena Urukalo (CAN) - $ 15 30. Predrag Kisa Valley of the Sun United Way - $ 50 31. Nikola Mrdakovic (IL) - $ 25 32. Nikola Mrdakovic (IL) - $ 15 33. Tanja Josipovic - $ 25 34. Svetlana Obradovic - $ 20 35. Lana & Igor Glisic - $ 50 36. Daniel Plavsic (WA) - $ 25 37. Nenad Milasinovic (Australia) - $ 25 38. B. Bojanic (CA) - $ 15 39. Zoran Starcevic - $ 20 40. Dragana Mirkovic - $ 50 41. Branislav Kalinic - $ 50 42. Ivan Aksentijevich (MD) - $ 25 43. Mirko Radovic B (Peru) - $ 25 44. Dragisa Djordjevic (MD) - $ 15 45. Marta Stojanovic (CAN) - $ 25 46. Srdjan Markovic (CA) - $ 25 47. Susi Schuchard (SD) - $ 25 48. Vlastimir Davidovic - $ 27.79 49. Anonymous - $ 150 50. Ankica Drca (NJ) - $ 25
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014 51. Dragisa Zivkovic (Serbia) - $ 15 52. Margareta Curcic (CAN) - $ 30 53. Nina & Maksim Krsmanovic (VA) - $ 50 54. Bojan Jovanovic (IL) - $ 25 55. Mirjana & Sinisa Peric (MD) - $ 50 56. Andreja Simovic (CA) - $ 100 57. Danko Panic (Microsoft) - $ 6.24 58. Microsoft Matching Gift Program - $ 6.24 59. Aleksandar Jaksic (Microsoft) - $ 300 60. Microsoft Matching Gift Program - $ 300 61. Milan Tomic (Microsoft) - $ 100 62. Aleksandar Tanasic (CAN) - $ 25 _________________________
TOTAL IN OCTOBER: $ 3.440
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
DONATIONS IN 2014.
NUMBER OF DONORS IN 2015.
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS
Monthly Report for October
www.serbsforserbs.org 2014
www.serbsforserbs.org szsamerika@gmail.com www.facebook/serbsforserbs
Charity organization Serbs for Serbs www.serbsforserbs.org PO Box 34206, Chicago, IL 60634 Phone: +1-312-85-SERBS