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Lauren Woodward's fundraiser for Caminul Felix Orphanage Build 2016

Lauren Woodward's fundraiser for Caminul Felix Orphanage Build 2016

Oradea, Bihor County, Romania
$1,680
Amount Raised

About this Fundraiser

In July 2016 Porolissum Prietenie will be taking a group of volunteers to build a home at Caminul Felix. This amazing event will bring you to Romania where you will learn about local history and culture as well as meet some amazing youth who are being brought up in Caminul Felix orphanage. Every year teams of volunteers come to the orphanage to help build homes that will be available at cost for the grown children of Caminul Felix.

Our trip will be from June 30th to July 13th. This will include 6 days of building and two weekend trips where the team will get to see and learn about Romanian history. The team will also get to participate in the yearly festival at Porolissum where troops from around the country come to reenact the great battles between the Roman and Dacian armies 1900 years ago.

The building of the homes are broken into three parts; Foundation, Structure/Finished Exterior, & Inside Finishes. With a full team, we will have a large enough group to do all 3 parts, which would be on 3 different homes due to time constraints. There will be homes in each stage of construction, so participating on each stage of the build is possible if we can raise the funds. In total, the team would need to raise $28,000 USD to participate on all three stages.

Since we will be working and staying within the orphanage village, we will have lots of time to spend with the families. Dinners will be spent each night with a different family. This allows volunteers to ask questions, learn about the community and hear all the different stories. For the family members who do not want to participate in the physical building, or perhaps for the children that are too young, there are plenty of activities for them to do during the day. They might help in the Sunflower Shop, or on the farm, or simply play with other children. There will be something for everyone.


Lets talk money...

Your cost of participating in this event is $1680 USD. This will cover the cost of all meals, accommodations, transportation in Romania, activity entrance fees, protection (i.e. hardhats) equipment, and coordination costs for everything during your stay beginning June 30 and ending July 13. The $1680 does not include cost of alcohol, personal spending, or flights to and from Romania.

You are welcome to fundraise for your individual $1680. In fact, you will be given the opportunity to make a fundraising page upon signing up with our event. But remember, we need your help to raise our $28,000 build goal as well. You will be asked to make a deposit of $250 USD upon signing up to hold your spot. I have then put in milestones for your entry fee to help you stay on track with your personal fundraising goals. You have until March 15, 2016 to pay or fundraise 50% of your fee ($840 USD), May 15, 2016 for 75% (1,260 USD) and then the total $1,680 USD is due by June 15, 2016.

Please keep in mind that the $1680 you are paying does not include the money we will need to raise for the material cost of the build. If we want to have all three stages to work on while at the orphanage (foundation, structure & exterior, and finish interior) we will need to raise $28,000 USD. This build goal may sound like a large feat, but it will take the unity of the entire team to raise the funds. I am hopeful that AECOM will provide some monetary sponsorship, but until then, we must assume we are responsible to raise this full amount. I will need everyone to tap into his or her resources, AECOM and outside, to come together to raise our build goal. Broken down, that is only $640 USD per volunteer!

You can find our Build Fundraiser here:

https://www.purecharity.com/orphanage-build-fundraiser



The Schedule...what's the breakdown?

Thursday, June 30

The team should expect to arrive in Cluj on June 30. I will try and arrange for airport pickup for all volunteers (10 min from city). If you feel comfortable taking a taxi, you are more than welcome to arrange your own ride into the city. Please feel free to rest and relax on this day. You will settle into your Cluj accommodations and there will be an informal dinner where everyone can meet and I can brief the team on the following days events.

Friday, July 1

This is the first official day of our trip. We will begin with a guided tour of Cluj. Cluj is the capitol of Transylvania and has taken leaps and bounds over the last few years. You will be captivated by all the coffee shops, bars and streetside cafes. It has a large university in the city and the young, hip new vibe of the people is refreshing. You will be pleasantly surprised how trendy downtown Cluj is.

We will also get to venture into the outskirts of Cluj which has some amazing must sees like Salina Turda, a salt mine that has been in use since the Romans occupied Romania. There is now a theme park, arcade, and rowboats in the large bell shaft, a must see. Accommodations will be in Cluj.


Salina Turda

Saturday, July 2

We will pack up and start making our way to Zalau (1.5 hrs). Along the way you will get your first look at the Transylvanian countryside. There will be some archeological sites of interest but our main event for the day will be the first day of Porolissum Days (Image 2) at the Porolissum Archeological site. During this celebration they reenact parts of the invasion, occupation, and eventual retreat of the Roman Empire. There will be gladiators, Roman troops, hoards of barbarians and a taste of the local cuisine. Accommodations will be in Zalau, the nearest town (30 minutes from Porolissum).


Porolissum Days

Sunday, July 3

We will begin to make our way to Oradea (3 hour drive), where Caminul Felix orphanage is located. There may be several stops along the way, but the goal is to get to the orphanage early afternoon so that the team can settle into their accommodations and take any needed rest.

Monday, July 4-Thursday, July 7

We will begin work on the homes. If we are able to raise our $28,000 goal, we will have three homes to work on simultaneously, each in different stages of construction (foundation, framing & exterior, and finished interior). People will be able to rotate on the different jobs. If you have a specific set of skills, this is where we would love for you to show us!

Breakfast and Lunches will be provided in our on-site accommodations. Dinners will be rotated between different family homes.

Friday, July 8

This will be an optional/free day.  Some people may like to rest, others may prefer to go into town for some personal shopping, some might want to go to Biale Felix to the thermal spa resort, and others may prefer to continue building. I wanted to give people more opportunity to spend time with the children and explore. This is a planned day off, breakfast lunch and dinner are provided at the orphanage, but any excursion is outside of the organized event. I will be happy to help organize any transportation you may require.

Saturday, July 9

I will be taking the team to Maramures (4.5 hours) for an overnight excursion. It is home to some of the most lush landscape and gorgeous wooden churches. We will be visiting Barsana Monastery and the Happy Cemetery as well as several other picturesque churches. Most of the churches in this area have beautifully painted interiors and are built with no metal screws or nails. We will also get a look across the river into the Ukraine, and if you have a good arm, you might be able to get a rock across the border.

 

Barsana Monestary


Happy Cemetery 

Sunday, July 10

We will begin heading back to Caminul Felix (4.5 hours). There may be a couple of stops on the way back, including Baia Mare, which has the 3rd largest chimney in Europe standing at over 1,100ft tall. We will want to get back to the orphanage in the early afternoon so that people have time to rest and recoup before beginning work again on Monday. 

Monday, July 11-Tuesday, July 12

These will be our last build days. We will need to work hard to accomplish everything we have committed to, but I know we will have a strong team and will be able to hit those marks with flying colors!

Wednesday, July 13

In the morning, we will be heading back to Cluj (2.5 hours). The rest of your day will be a free day to hit any shops or cafes that you missed. We will have a farewell dinner and final good byes before everyone heads home on Thursday.



Flights

Getting to Romania is relatively easy. I suggest you fly into Cluj-Napoca. Cheap flights can be found from all major European cities. Try WIZZ Air for the best deals direct to Cluj. Most major airlines will make you fly into Bucharest and then a connection into Cluj.

If you have any additional questions about flights, please ask.



What should you bring? 

I will provide the team with a more comprehensive list of items to bring as we get closer, but for now a basic list of must haves would include:

•               Sunglasses

•               Hat

•               Rain Jacket

•               Long Pants

•               Clothes that can be damaged (for construction days)

•               Good shoes for construction days (covers entire foot, i.e. no flips flops or sandals)

•               Bathing Suit (if you want to go to the thermal spa)

•               Sunscreen

•               Bug Repellant

Many people have asked about bringing safety equipment for building. My advice is, if you have the room, bring them. The orphanage will provide safety equipment, but if you have personal equipment already, you know they will fit and be comfortable, so bring them along. Those items may include:

•               Hard Hat

•               Gloves

•               Tool Belt

•               Protective eyewear


Who is going?

I am anticipating our volunteer team to be roughly 44 people. Even though it will consist of a lot of AECOM employees, it is by no means an AECOM only event. Family, friends, acquaintances, etc. are all encouraged to participate. Know that there is a cap on the amount of people I can bring, so once you are able to commit, please sign up to secure your spot. I currently have over 65 people expressing interest. If all of those people are still interested, it will be a first come first serve basis.

There is also no age limit on who can attend. If you have younger children, there are other activities they can help out with around the orphanage during the day while you are building. You will be able to meet back up with them at lunch and after work.


Lets talk Language...

Romanian is a romance language, contrary to popular belief. If you know any Spanish or Italian it will help you immensely. You should not have much issue with language however. In Cluj, there will be a lot of English speakers, and at the orphanage, many of the "parents" speak English. Going to a country where you don't speak the language is an adventure; stay open-minded and enjoy being out of your element.

On our trips I am going to be having a guide who speaks English. They will be able to tell you about the things we are seeing and the places we are going.


Caminul Felix

If you have been on the Caminul Felix orphanage website you may have noticed that they are a Christian organization. However you feel about religion, it is important to understand that we are going to do humanitarian work for children. Porolissum Prietenie is not a religious organization and this trip is not going to have a focus on religion. This does not mean you cannot talk about or practice your faith, it just means that we will not be going to church or focusing on any religious ideologies. I don't want Caminul Felix possibly having different views to discourage you from joining our team. We are a group of professionals who are traveling to Romania to build a house for an orphanage.




Tell us why you like this fundraiser

  • $1,680 One-time Goal
  • $0 Still Needed
  • 200 Lives Impacted
  • 0 Days To Go

Trip Information

Caminul Felix Orphanage Build 2016
Trip ID# Orphanage Build

Field Partner

Building Humanity 0
Orange, CA, US
Building Families. Building Communities. Building Friendships. We provide varying form...
This Fundraiser has ended and is no longer accepting funding.

Fundraiser Organizer

Lauren Woodward
Bedford, Bedfordshire

Region Map

Oradea, Bihor County, Romania

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Funded - May 21, 2016
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Lauren Woodward's fundraiser for Caminul Felix Orpha...

by Lauren Woodward 200 Lives Impacted Oradea, Bihor County, Romania

In July 2016 Porolissum Prietenie will be taking a group of volunteers to build a home at Caminul Felix. This amazing event will bring you to Rom...

$1,680 One-time Donations
  • $1,680 One-time Goal
  • $0 Still Needed
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