Anita Herczegh: We would like to win supporters who will help regularly in the coming years, since the goal of the foundation is to be able to support these children, who are now newborns or preschoolers, until they become adults.
It is a very good feeling to experience the regular arrival of smaller and larger amounts, from one to two thousand forints to several tens of millions, Anita Herczegh, wife of the President of the Republic János Áder, told our newspaper about the István Regőczi Foundation, which they set up to help the orphans of the victims of the coronavirus epidemic. He also talked about the kind of personalized support they can provide to children.
- The coronavirus epidemic did not spare families either, many children were left orphaned or semi-orphaned. How did it come about that they are looking for a solution for them?
– When the idea came to us, we were in the third wave, and we learned about a lot of terrible tragedies and stories where small children were involved. In the past year, there were reports that the elderly were mainly at risk of the virus, but in the spring more and more young people were also affected, leaving young children orphaned or semi-orphaned. It occurred to us that this is already such a large number that we need to create separate help specifically for them, since at that time around four hundred families were involved. Then it became clear that this cannot be incorporated into the life of a previous foundation or charitable organization, since they also have their specific task for which they were created.
– The Regőczi István Foundation was registered in May, where are they now in the work?
– The foundation was established, the board of trustees was established. It flexibly adapts to the changed needs of the foundation, for example the increased number of stakeholders. In addition, the website also works and is constantly updated. In the past few days, a decision was made that interested parties can get answers to questions that arise on our website, for example, regarding funerals and guardianship proceedings.
We compile the topics, which are constantly expanding, based on the needs of all phone inquiries so far. We want an interface that is easy to use, and at the same time allows donors to provide simple support with a few clicks of a button.
- A foundation of this kind can not only provide financial assistance. What other areas can they cover?
- The first and most important is quick financial aid, because raising funeral costs or the loss of a breadwinner requires immediate help, but our goal is to be able to solve what is needed. For the time being, this is a foundation made up of volunteers without employees.
However, it would not be possible to carry out this task alone, which is why we have entered into cooperation agreements with large charitable organizations that have the appropriate equipment, offices, warehouses, and volunteer networks. Through them, we can deliver the material donations offered to us to the orphans and the affected families, since we do not have warehouses or means of transport.
"What else can they do to help families in trouble?"
– Additional support, for example, is legal assistance. In many cases, the breadwinner has suddenly become a young man in his twenties who has to take care of his younger brother. Of course, he is completely uninformed about guardianship matters, and many new problems arise, which we can help solve, for example, by involving lawyers or municipal, state, and public administration councils.
– The loss of a parent and the processing of the changed family situation are also very difficult. Do they also deal with this?
– We help to find a solution, so we connect the family with a psychologist, for example. As I said, the foundation does not have a permanent specialist, and by definition it often depends on the place of residence, who can be the right help.
- We could hear in the press that the offers kept coming. Does the initial momentum still hold?
- Yes, the donation is continuous. It is a very good feeling to experience the fact that, to this day, small and large sums, from one to two thousand forints to several tens of millions, regularly arrive. Donors include individual donors, small entrepreneurs, large companies, municipalities and church communities.
– It's as if the foundation is your own child, but how much work do you put into it?
– This cannot be said, but I try to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the media and spread the news of the foundation to as many people as possible. This is also a job, but there is also the board of trustees meeting, where we regularly consult and make decisions. For example, there are people who offer the income of concerts or cultural events, I go there personally and thank them for the offer. We still have a lot of plans.
One is that we will auction off the presidential protocol gifts with the help of a well-known auction gallery, and we will transfer the proceeds to the foundation's account. There are many tasks that cannot be measured in working hours, since in addition to getting to know the families' living situations, it is very important to maintain contact with sponsors and companies in order to establish long-term cooperation with them. We are very grateful for the trust and a lot of support. We will inform the public what the donations were used for and what they were spent on, so that this relationship of trust is maintained.
You can read the full interview here: magyarnemzet.hu
Photo: MH/Péter Papajcsik
