House of Ukrainian Friends (Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni) is project started by a group of friends, among which three of my dearest friends, Ted & Julie Cominos, Americans that lived in Europe for more than 10 years, most of it in Romania, and Alexandra Florea. The projects assures hosting up to 28 persons refugees from the Ukrainian war (mothers and children) at any given time, and provide them with safe and dignified room and board in a desperate time of need. It secured a small pensione in the border town of Braila, Romania. Braila is approx. 20 miles from the Romania-Ukrainian border crossing, Isaccea.
I am proud to be an Ambassador of this project and help raise money and awareness for it.
Help us give a safe heaven to these women and children in these hard times.
“We had the pleasure of living and working in Europe for over 10 years, many of which were spent in Romania. It is a country in which we have fond memories, and developed treasured friendships. Unfortunately, it has also been on the world stage due to its proximity to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Large numbers of women and children are crossing into Romania every day, seeking refuge.
Our friends and former colleagues in/from Romania – like us – have been moved by scenes of families being split, and mothers and children forced to make journeys far from home. Like many of you, we’ve donated funds to various organizations, but still could not stop feeling that we should do more - something hands-on and of direct, tangible impact. Given trusting 20-year friendships that originated in Romania, a small group of us have joined forces to assist mothers with children as they cross into Romania in an initiative we are calling Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni (House of Ukrainian Friends).
We have secured up to six-months of exclusive rental of a small pensione in the border town of Braila, Romania. Braila is approx. 20 miles from the Romania-Ukrainian border crossing, Isaccea, and the hometown of our long-time friend, colleague and attorney, Dragos Radu and his family. Braila, like other similar border towns, has been receiving thousands fleeing the danger in Ukraine.
Through our arrangement with ‘Residenza Dutzu’, we have secured the entire facility comprising 11-private rooms, dining facilities, etc. Their staff will provide a full daily breakfast and dinner (as well as snacks, fruit, bottled water throughout the day), access to self-service laundry, and the procurement of necessary incidentals (diapers, toiletries, etc). With this arrangement, we can host up to 28 persons (mothers and children) at any given time, and provide them with safe and dignified room and board in a desperate time of need.
We’ve launched this initiative purposefully with it being temporary (‘setting it up to wind it up’ as we like to say). We are not looking to create a long-term initiative, and ideally we will disband Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni in short order, based on (a hoped for) end to the conflict. If not, at least we will have provided a measure of direct support to scores of women and children during a critical period of 3 or 6 months.
Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni is raising $75,000 at this time to cover an initial three-month period (April 1 – June 30, 2022) of accommodation, utilities, meals, services and incidentals (i.e.at a negotiated cost of ca. EUR 20 per person /day). At the end of such initial term, we will assess then-pending circumstances and decide whether or not to exercise an option for an additional 3-month period. At such time, Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni may seek to raise capital from donors or, if readily available at the time, apply for governmental or NGO funding options, many of which are being prepared for future deployment, but not readilyavailable at present.
We have been fortunate to be supported in our efforts by the ‘Romanian United Fund’, with whom we are collaborating to expeditiously roll out this initiative. The Romanian United Fund, founded by our friend Mihai Lehene, has agreed to provide (free-of-cost) helpful back-end technical and administrative support. This will, inter alia, facilitate the collection of donor-funds, issuance of 501c3 tax-deductible receipts, dispatch of fiscal reports and donor communications, etc. We are ever grateful to Mihai and the team at Romanian United Fund for their support and assistance!
We have gone down this path of ‘direct assistance’ in order to ensure that our collective donations of human and fiscal resource are fulfilling a pressing need on-the-ground, and entirely reaching their intended destination. Via our website (http://ukrainianfriends.house) you will find a summary of the offering of Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni. We recognize this is a ‘drop in the bucket’ in terms of the broader needs that exists. But it nevertheless is something tangible and impactful that we can collectively provide now to refugee mothers travelling alone with 1-3 children.
Our founders have all personally contributed notable funds and considerable time to this initiative – reflecting our collective strong belief in its mission. We kindly ask that you consider:
1. Support: Getting ‘behind us’ by informing 2-3 of your friends / colleagues of this initiative, and encouraging them to participate; and/or
2. Contribute: Contributing; all amounts are independently accounted for, entirely flow-through, and detailed in financial reports; donors will receive a 501c3 tax-deductible receipt.
We all wish that the circumstances of today were such that an initiative like this would not be needed. But Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni will make a timely and important impact on the lives of numerous Ukrainian women and children seeking refuge in Romania who find themselves in a dire situation not of their making. We are very grateful for your consideration, and for any support that you are able to provide!
Thank you,
Ted & Julie Cominos”
Please donate by clicking on the below link:
https://www.romanianunitedfund.org/donate_to_casa_prietenilor_ucrainieni
You can learn more about Casa Prietenilor Ucraineni through its web site:
You can learn more about the pensione-hotel ‘Residenza Dutzu’ by accessing their website: