Partner Church Committee needs $1,500 to aid Transylvania students

Each December, Follen’s PCC asks parishioners for small donations to help students attending our partner church in Sentmihaly, Transylvania, to cover education-related costs.  These donations enable middle school students, for example, to take a bus to a Hungarian school 30 miles away.  These students must travel that distance since the Romanian government closed the Hungarian middle school in their village several years ago. Other students use the scholarships to cover other costs such as text books.

This year, unfortunately, several donors left Follen, and Covid-19 has hindered PCC’s efforts to find replacement donors in our congregation. As a result, PCC still needs donors to cover another $1,500 of costs for five students.

Donors typically donate $300 for a full scholarship or $150 to provide a half scholarship, and we also accept other amounts.  Every dollar of your gift goes to your student’s family to help with education costs.  Donors make their contributions annually until the students graduate from high school or college.  The donations are distributed through the Rev. Dimeny Jozsef, pastor of our partner church.

To thank donors, each student writes to his or her donor at least annually to explain what they’re studying, what their higher education hopes are and to outline their other interests.  Some Follen members have built lasting relationships with their students and have had the pleasure of attending their weddings after they finish their studies.

To learn how to help one or more of these wonderful students, please contact John Lempesis, chair of PCC, at partnerchurch@follen.org. Thank you!