Caleb Foundation – Bringing hope to the hopeless!

Bringing Hope, Dignity, and a Future to Lăzăreni

​Dear Friends and Partners,

​As we reflect on another transformative year at Caleb Foundation, our hearts are filled with gratitude. Because of your faithfulness and compassion, the Roma community in the village of Lăzăreni, Bihor County, continues to experience lasting change. 

​In a community where poverty often deprives families of basic necessities, children have historically grown up marginalized, pushed to the edges of society, without the opportunity to dream. But together, we are changing that narrative. Education, consistent nourishment, and unconditional love are breaking generational cycles – one child at a time. 

​Here is a look at what your generosity accomplished through our key programs this past year:

​1. Kindergarten: Laying the Foundation Early – a total of 26 kids enrolled

​Every journey out of poverty begins with early education. In our kindergarten program, young children take their very first steps into a safe, structured, and joyful learning environment.

• Early Literacy & Socialization: Children learn basic language, motor skills, and essential hygiene practices.
• Warmth and Nutrition: Beyond classroom basics, every little one receives warm meals and the daily affirmation that they are deeply valued and loved.
• School Readiness: By preparing them before primary school begins, we ensure they do not enter the public school system already behind.

​2. After-School Program: A Passport to the Future.

​Our after-school project remains the heartbeat of our daily community work. Around 105 children walk through our doors 3 times a week to find a haven of hope and encouragement: 

• Support: Dedicated staff and tutors assist with homework, reading, and exam preparation, keeping kids enrolled and preventing school dropout.
• Nutritious Meals: Every child receives a wholesome meal—often their primary reliable nutrition of the day.
• Life Skills & Character Building: In an atmosphere anchored in love, dignity, and grace, children discover their God-given potential and begin to dream big for their futures.

​3. Summer Camp: Joy, Healing, and Breakthrough.

​For children who face daily hardship, our annual summer camps are a life-changing highlight. 

• A Space to Just Be Kids: Away from daily struggles, children experience the simple joy of childhood—singing, playing sports, enjoying team competitions, and winning prizes.
• Emotional & Spiritual Healing: In a safe, supportive atmosphere, leaders listen to burdens, pray with the children, and speak life and purpose into their hearts.
• Motivation to Persevere: The camp has become such an inspiring milestone that students work hard throughout the school year just to earn their spot!

4. High school Students: Disrupting Precedent.

• 10 young people enrolled. Reaching high school proves to younger siblings, peers, and future generations that finishing school is achievable, transforming a rare exception into an expected standard.
• Seeing kids reach high school provides concrete proof that holistic intervention works:

It demonstrates that early support (nutrition, tutoring, emotional care) successfully lays the foundation for long-term academic persistence.

 

​Looking Ahead: Will You Partner with Us for the Coming Year?

​None of these transformations happen by accident—they happen because you care!

​As we look toward to the coming year, the need remains urgent. Rising costs of food,

heating, school supplies, clothing and transportation challenge our budget,

yet the number of children needing help continues to grow.

​Your support for the upcoming year will help provide:

• Daily warm meals for kindergarten and after-school students.
• School supplies, backpacks, and winter clothing.
• Educational materials, qualified mentors, and classroom utilities.
• Scholarships to send every qualifying child to summer camp.

​”Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;

teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

 

Providing an education and a foundation of love is giving these children a gateway to a bright future full of opportunities!

​Donate Today / Support Caleb Foundation

• Via our website: fundatiacaleb.com
• PayPal, Debit/Credit Card, Apple Pay: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/ALBX3MMEWCCFN
• To obtain a US tax deductible receipt make checks payable to:

Kids In Crisis International (Memo: Caleb Foundation)

PO Box 1263, Edgewater, FL 32132

 

​Thank you for standing with the children of Lăzăreni. Your prayers, love, and financial gifts are planting seeds that will bear fruit for generations!

 

With heartfelt appreciation and blessings,

​Gheorghe, Alina Galea and the Caleb Foundation Team

It’s time to sign up for a trip!

As followers of Christ, we are called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve a lost and hurting world. Caleb’s Short-Term Mission Program gives you the possibility to engage personally in God’s mission through meaningful mission trip opportunities. We believe that as people serve in the name of Christ, whether in their local community or around the world, the impact of that service will change lives – the lives of those who go to serve, of the congregations that send, and of the people in the communities you serve.

Bellow you will find the STM forms if you’re thinking of joining us in 2027

TEAM REGISTRATION FORM

TRIP DETAILS 2027 – USD

This year has been one of the greatest at Caleb Foundation. We are seeing lives being transformed, hope becoming a major factor in the desire for change, and lots of joy. We believe Joy is real evidence of God having touched the gypsy people from Lazareni in a way they perceive to be loved and cherished.

This year’s theme for all our projects and activities has been “The goodness of God”. It is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance and to turning to Him, and we have seen this happen this year more than ever.

Now if you imagine that it was all smooth sailing, well that’s not the case. With any major divine intervention there is always the evil opposition that’s bound to appear. But we were ready for any opposition, obstacle and challenge and made the 160 children part of the fight against evil. We reminded them that God empowered all of us to fight the enemy and his schemes. It is so incredible to see faith raise as their simple prayers made their way to the heart of God!

Besides our weekly activities like, kindergarten, After-school classes, Bible classes, Youth nights, a few events worth mentioning are: Mother’s Day celebration, Easter Celebration, Roma international day, 1st of June International children’s day, our summer Camps and VBS and food distributions to name a few.

All of these events take a lot of work and preparation, but it is events like these that bring joy, hope, show God’s love and restore dignity. The fact that someone takes the time to acknowledge and celebrate the Roma people means more than we can imagine, in an era where prejudice and stigma is ever so present.

As far as the children in whom we invest the most have had some fantastic last few months. The summer camps and VBS is what they work hard to be a part of all year round. We had 2 camps these year as we had to split the children according to age and all three have impacted the children for life as God’s love was being shown and expressed in all we did. The difference in attitude and behaviour from the 1st day to last was so obvious that one would believe they are not the same kids.

We are so thankful for all your prayers and support without which none of these would be possible.

Our activities and projects are best captured and shown on Facebook and Instagram where Alina and the team do a great job of posting, however I wanted to make sure to let you know how much we appreciate your heart for the Roma people. See attached a couple of collages.

Many blessings,

Gheorghe & Alina

 

Salut, a venit din nou acea perioadă a anului când dăm ocazia prietenilor și cunoscuților să redirecționeze 3.5% din banii datorați statului către Fundația Caleb. Vă mulțumim!
Accesează linkul și in 2 minute ai terminat:

https://formular230.ro/fundatia-caleb

By the Grace of God after three years of hard work and many blessings that came in the form of donations we have been able to dedicate the Mission House on September 27th of this year. 

What an historical moment, full of excitement and joy as we all in one voice thanked God for the very miracle we were standing in. 

It’s been a journey we will never forget as it challenged us in so many ways while increasing our faith and proving God faithful to his promises! Between tears and smiles we were able to celebrate every step of the way as the house was becoming a reality day by day.

Many thanks to all those involved in making this dream come true!

Please feel free to download the PDF Calendar by clicking on the image bellow and put in on your desk, that way you will be reminded to pray for Caleb Foundation!

It looks like this when you print it, but if you fold it will be the perfect addition to your desk.

 

 

2023 has been an amazing year. After 23 years of spreading God’s love and working hard at transforming the Roma community in Lazareni, we are seeing major changes take place.

From a people without hope, education, access to jobs and training, we are now seeing a generation that understands the value of education, of having a job, but most of all realizing that they are the ones determining their family’s future.

Hope that comes from knowing God as a good father, made such a huge difference in the way they view life, so much so, that desperation seems to have left the village almost entirely.

Through all the Programs and Projects that Caleb has been running we are aiming at a holistic approach to the needs of the community, while emphasizing some more than others according to seasons and changes we notice.

Education
We are now in a season where Education is of paramount importance, not only because of all the opportunities aiming at the minority groups, but we notice an openness, a hunger even in the children toward wanting to know more. Of course, this doesn’t apply only to school related subjects but also to the Bible knowledge and spiritual growth that is part of our curriculum.

We now have 156 children from age 4 to 14 that come to our programs 5 days a week. Some come to kindergarten, others come to the afterschool program, while others that need more help and attention come to the “one to one” meeting with our teachers. We are blessed to be able to provide care, love, affection and much needed food for them every time they come to Caleb.

From January to August, we had many activities that involved the kids. Among them we had 3 summer camps where we divided the kids according to age. Two of the week-long camps were held on our property and the weather helped make these summer camps some of our best so far. All activities revolved around the theme of this year which was “Kingdom Kids”. The 3rd camp took place 5 hours away at a beautiful camp site and it was for the older kids that have earned the right to go by scoring a high attendance and good grades.

We made sure that the Kingdom values: Righteousness, Peace and Joy were present throughout all our activities. The aim was a major shift in their identity.
It’s hard to capture so many kids and the joy they experienced but of you watch the video bellow you will get a glimpse of what it was like.

Training
In July we were blessed to be able to do a course called “My job, my profession” in partnership with COM International from Switzerland with the young people looking to go to high school and then move on to choosing a career. In 2024 we will continue with the second stage of training.

Community Center
The Community Building is almost finished (project that has been going one for 3 years, as we are highly dependent on donations) and we are all looking forward to putting it to good use. If you’re thinking of doing a mission trip next year, please let us know. We will now be able to host you in our new building.

Job Creation
There have been a few endeavors to create jobs especially for those that are illiterate or have had very little education. Even though we had qualified people help us write business plans as well as assisting us in applying for grants nothing has materialized. That doesn’t mean we are giving up; we just have to look at other ways of doing it. We have met with the mayor and his team and are looking at finding long term solutions for the unemployment problem in the Roma communities.

Agriculture
Our garden and orchard yielded and unusual bountiful crop this year which meant we were able to bless the community and not had to spend so much money on food. Praise God.

Ukraine relief
As we are close to the Ukraine border many thousands of Ukrainians have fled to our home town Oradea and many have settled since, we have been able to raise funds for this cause as well as facilitate humanitarian aid in 2022 and 2023 for churches in Ukraine.
It’s been over a year since the Ukrainian church in our town has its services in our church’s facilities every Thursday night. Due to the partnership with the Ukrainian pastor many hundreds have been blessed over the course of almost two years.

Christmas celebration
We still have a few evets worth mentioning like the Thanksgiving Event for the Ladies that will take place on Friday the 24th of Nov, as well as Christmas celebration events according to age groups in December.

The unplanned & emergencies
There are many of these throughout the year, and being a humanitarian organization, we cannot ignore them. We have a tab open at the local pharmacy where we sent the ones that cannot afford to buy medicine. A few roofs needed to be replaced as the storm blew them away. A desperate family needed a house and we were able to facilitate that. And there are the many cases we need to intervene on the Roma’s behalf in the hospitals or other government offices as they are either neglected or taken advantage of.

These are just some of the highlights of this fruitful year!
Thank you for your prayers and support!

Gheorghe & Alina Galea