Second Chance started as a small but significant initiative taken by American expatriate Sara Blättler and Romanian Cosmina Pandele in the fall and winter of 2002. Their idea of throwing a Christmas party and providing Christmas gifts and meals for the families of Berceni inspired more and more people and in January 2003, 20,000 USD had been raised by the American organisation Romanian Families Fund.

Today, Second Chance develops a variety of projects to encourage positive change within the community and improve daily life in Berceni.

Personal Story

Second Chance started with a simple idea.  
by Sara Blättler

In October of 2002, we had been living in Romania for three short months. Overwhelmed by the poverty, the harsh weather conditions and local human suffering, we decided to make Christmas packages for a nearby village. This was the childhood village of my daughter’s babysitter. This was also home to her mother and her mother’s mother. So selecting families in dire need was easy.

Next, I called my mom to tell her she wouldn’t be getting any Christmas presents that year. She thought it a brilliant idea and likewise, insisted on giving all her Christmas money to the project. Then she told a friend, who told a friend, who told a friend.

By January of 2003, we had more than $20,000 in seed money to begin the difficult task of revitalizing the community of Berceni (more than 7,000 inhabitants). In 2003, we rebuilt five elementary schools, created three computer laboratories and received a one-year food grant from Caritas/USAID for basic food for more than 117 unemployed families. We received and distributed more than 2 tons of warm clothes and school supplies. We helped with art competitions and provided medical supplies for free distribution to those below the poverty line. We organized Christmas parties for more than 500 in an effort to bring cheer and goodwill to an otherwise uncelebrated occasion. Every cent was stretched a mile.

In 2004, our objective grew to help a larger part of the community. We opened a senior center for retirees. We initiated plans to build an indoor bathroom for the middle school’s more than 350 students aged 7 to 15 who currently use an outhouse (six holes without septic tank in the ground). With more than eight volunteer teachers, we started a work program for unemployed mothers looking to feed their families.

From day one, it has been our intention to teach people how to be responsible for their own lives. By helping them, we provide the basic tools to find solutions, jobs and new ideas to improve their living standards and protect their way of life. All we ask in return, is that one day they help someone else.

It’s taken some time, but we’re beginning to see families who are helping each other and the community at large. So we thank you, all our supporters, for giving these people such a beautiful gift. The gift of hope and of new beginnings.