Every year, UMD organizes a donation from the diaspora community for Macedonia. This year, UMD decided to focus on helping the elderly who reside in the senior citizens’ homes throughout Macedonia. Over the holiday season, thanks to the donations of Macedonian Diaspora around the world, and Macedonians in Macedonia as well, UMD was able to raise $2,500, which was matched by UMD’s Charitable Fund, totaling $5,000.
On March 7-8, 2011, UMD donated pajamas, socks and sweaters to the elderly in the Kiro Krstevski Platnik Senior Citizen’s Home in Prilep, and the Mother Theresa Senior Citizen’s Home in Skopje. UMD was also able to provide a washing machine to the Senior Citizen’s Home in Kumanovo. UMD thanks its partner, Konekt, from Macedonia for their help in coordinating the project and efforts delivering the aid to the seniors.
“In the past, we have coordinated donations to orphanages and to hospitals, and this year we wanted to address another segment that is not talked about much – the elderly in Macedonia,” said UMD Board Member and Charitable Efforts Coordinator Aleksandra Trpkovska. “Many of us in the diaspora miss our grandparents back home. Some of them may live with families, while some of them live in senior citizens’ homes. We wanted to reach out to the ones that are not with their families this holiday season and let them know we haven’t forgotten about them. They are somebody’s Baba and Dedo.”
To see pictures of the donations and the happy faces of all the senior citizens, click HERE.
To share your ideas about future charity projects, please contact UMD at charity@umdiaspora.org