Outside the gates of Casa Bridget there is a continual need to assist poverty stricken families. Many still live in difficult conditions. Families with many children live in single room shacks made of clay and straw, without basics such as running  water or electricity. There are also a number of elderly and disabled villagers who get very little support from the state. We try to help where we can, funds and time permitting, whilst at the same time being careful to not allow people to become too dependant on the foundation. Here are some examples of the different ways in which we support people in Nicoresti and the surrounding villages;

  • Food and clothes and toys, donated in Ireland and Italy, are distributed regularly
  • Firewood, essential during the harsh winters, is given out regularly to the elderly and disabled
  • Medicines, essential operations and hospital costs are covered by the foundation  for families who otherwise would be unable to get treated. Even in the hospital, we are often forced to pay the doctors and nurses who would otherwise ignore the patients
  • We help people with the expensive cost of getting electricity connected. Electricity means culture and civilization and allows families a normal life instead of being forced to spend evenings confined to a single room by candlelight
  • We assist with the renovation and construction of houses, roofs,or rooms for families with many children often living in very poor conditions
  • We support the elderly, poor and often illiterate, who are unable, and who find it too confusing, to make applications for many important documents, such as pensions, health care, ID cards, etc
  • We pay the transport costs for some teenagers in the village to go to high school in the town. In return they spend a few hours a week working at the foundation
  • We have built 18 houses for young families that were previously homeless or living in over-crowded conditions. These families are encouraged to be independent and eventually the houses will be signed over to them
  • We help our local schools and play-schools wherever possible meaning we are able to help  a larger number of children, recent donations have included toys, desks, chairs andl text books
  • Our local hospital is very under-funded so we often help with donations of medical equipment, water-proof mattresses and toys for the childrens hospital
  • There are a number of families in the village that we pay to take good care of elderly and disabled people who would otherwise be homeless