For Fruit That Will Last
What started out as a dream of overflowing orchards in 1991 has blossomed into a ministry that has touched the lives of thousands of orphans, volunteers, staff, and supporters. Livada is the Romanian word for orchard and serves as a symbol of what we want our ministry to continue to do: bear fruit that will last. Today Livada continues to focus on fulfilling our original mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
What Makes Us Different
We Provide Homes for Kids Without One
Residential care through a full-time, family style approach in group homes, mentor apartments, and private foster care
We Address the Needs of the Abandoned
Cradle Care of abandoned infants and toddlers in hospital wards and domestic foster to adopt program
We Reach Kids Where They Are
Orphan Outreach to abandoned kids in state care facilities through a combination of serving both the felt and spiritual needs of the children
We Focus on Keeping Families Together
Prevention of Abandonment efforts in Gypsy villages, providing supplemental counseling, physical aid, employment search assistance and other social services in effort to help struggling families stay together
Years of
Ministry
total
donors
incredible
volunteers
mission trip participants
More About Livada
Our History
Ministry Structure
Goals
Financial Info
Miscellaneous
Even though almost fifty years of communist dictatorial rule ended in 1989, Ceausescu’s horrendous legacy did not. In Romania today, tens of thousands of children are still warehoused in state orphanages, hidden away in impoverished hospitals, forcefully reintegrated into abusive and dangerous situations with distant relatives, kidnapped and trafficked, or shuffled through various forms of rudimentary foster care. While there have been major improvements, especially as a result of the increased focus on Romania’s social problems by the West and the European Union, the future for the majority of abandoned and at-risk children continues to be bleak.
Read about Livada's detailed history by clicking here.
There are an estimated 60,000 abandoned children and 200,000 highly at-risk vulnerable Gypsy children in Romania today. UNICEF reports that the abandonment rate has remained unchanged in the past 30 years.
Livada’s holistic approach begins by nurturing orphans in the cradle and ends with them becoming faithful, interdependent, contributing members of society. The platform of all programs is a discipleship process leading to life change and personal responsibility.
Today there are four major departments of our local ministry:
- Full-time, Family-Style Residential care. This is made up of private group homes, mentor apartments, and foster care.
- Cradle Care to abandoned infants and toddlers in hospital wards, foster care and adoption.
- Orphan Outreach to orphans in state care. This involves highly relational weekly Christian clubs, humanitarian aid, dental care, evangelistic summer camps, and discipleship groups.
- Prevention of Abandonment to at-risk Roma (Gypsy) kids and poor families. This ministry offers weekly Christian clubs, humanitarian aid, and crisis intervention.
And one growing aspect of ministry that allows us to multiply our experience nationally:
Co-founders of the Romania Without Orphans Alliance (Alianta Romania Fara Orfani arfo.ro) of orphan care providers which helps to a) Train adoptive parents, foster parents, and caregivers in Trauma Informed Care. b) Mobilize the Church in Romania to care for vulnerable kids and families in their communities and c) Mobilize the government for better child protection legislation and action.
Results to Date
- Today Livada weekly impacts hundreds of orphans and at-risk kids in state care, impoverished villages, and private care.
- We host an average of 100 mission trip participants per year.
- We manage private group homes, private foster care, private mentor apartments.
- We run Christian summer camps for orphans in state care and vulnerable children from at risk Roma (Gypsy) villages.
Funding Plan
- Entity Funding sources: 89% Individuals, 3% Businesses, and 8% Churches
- Child Sponsorship, Corporate Matching, Church mission budgetary support, Fundraising Events, and monthly/annual donations from individuals are the main income venues
- Mission trip administration fees and minor investments are the other sources of income
- An active database of 3000+ donors is communicated with monthly by email/quarterly letters
- A capital campaign for a Gypsy Day Center and Counseling Center is underway
Livada Orphan Care, Inc. is a licensed 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the USA and an accredited, registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Romania.
IRS Filings, Financial Reports and Statements
- Public copies of all financial filings
are available upon request. Please email
[email protected] or call us at 972.941.4416.
- Privacy Policy
- Ministry Overview (downloadable)
- Understanding Orphan Statistics
- Rethinking Orphan Care: An Introduction to Family Care
Livada Orphan Care (USA), Stichting Livada (Netherlands), and Fundatia LOC (Romania) are separate legal entities independently working on common goals and projects to assist orphans and at-risk Roma kids in Romania.
More Than 3000+
Kids Served So Far
Become Their Hero
It takes a lot of staff and volunteers to run our programs throughout the year. Consider helping us by serving on camp staff, volunteering, joining/forming a mission team, or joining our staff as a missionary or intern.
Meet Our Team
Since 2001 Livada has been advised, encouraged and held accountable by an Executive Board of Directors. Livada is also held accountable by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) by adhering to the highest standards of ethical fundraising and accounting standards, is a GuideStar Gold Standard Member, Ministry Ventures Mastery Certified non-profit, and consistently “Top-Rated” charity with greatnonprofits.org.
