The Caleb Foundation
Kindergarten, after-school tutoring, summer camps and a sewing room for the Roma families of Lazareni, led by George and Alina Galea for more than two decades.
Two decades of showing up.
For over two decades, our dear friends and dedicated staff in Romania have been making a profound impact on children's lives through the love of Jesus. Among them are George and Alina Galea, who have been with us since the beginning and now serve as directors of the Roma (Gypsy) ministry. Their passion for the Roma community is matched only by their expansive vision to uplift these individuals.
The Fundatia Caleb, the Caleb Foundation, was established by Kids in Crisis International in 2001 to support our charitable work in Romania. Today the school and ministry continue to flourish, shining the light of the gospel and bringing about transformative change. God's work has exceeded our expectations, touching the lives of the Roma people and now influencing the next generation of children.
Simple mud homes are slowly being transformed into brick homes with insulation and solid roofs. Former students, now adults, are taught skills like sewing, woodworking and farming so they can provide for themselves. Former students who have children of their own now understand the benefits of education and are encouraging the second generation to pursue God and a better life.
A kindergarten, a tutoring program, three camps, a sewing room, and now a mission house.
Fund a program for a year.
These are the annual costs George and Alina report to us. Every one of them is a gift a person or a church could carry.
Kindergarten teacher for Roma children
A year of salary for the teacher who gives Roma children in Lazareni their first classroom, and their first Romanian, which is a second language for them.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
After-school program teacher
Tutoring, homework help and a meal for the older students, so they keep up with their Romanian peers and stay in school.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
Utilities, sewing room and community help
Keeps the lights on, runs the sewing room where mothers make aprons and other products to sell, and helps the most marginalized families in the village.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
Summer camp for the older kids
A four-day, three-night getaway for the children who have faithfully attended the after-school program all year.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
Christmas for the children of Lazareni
Presents and parties for the younger and older kids in December, plus a Christmas bonus for staff and volunteers.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
Two weeks of Vacation Bible School
Four-day VBS programs for each age group on the Caleb Foundation property over the summer break.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
Kindergarten celebration day
A single-day celebration for the kindergarteners over the summer break.
On Every.org, choose Romania where it asks where your gift should go.
What the Caleb Foundation is working toward.
- A better quality of life, living conditions and economic status for the marginalized minorities.
- Humanitarian aid for those not able to provide for themselves, especially families with low or no income.
- Education and integration, so the marginalized can earn a decent living.
- Protecting children's rights by all legal means, including adoption.
- Schooling, training and workshops that develop children's, young people's and adults' abilities and skills.
- Training and teaching using Biblical values and principles.
- Material aid and spiritual support for those in need.
- Helping young people integrate into society.
- Camps, field trips, training sessions and sports events for young people.
See Lazareni for yourself.
A story of transformation, a tour of the new Mission House, a sample mission trip, and three voices from the village.
A Story of Transformation (2024, 5 minutes)
A grandmother in Lazareni tells how, seriously ill in hospital, she had a dream that changed her life. The Caleb Foundation team, who have known her for 25 years, describe the change they have seen: once hard to talk to, she is now at peace, thanks God for how he provides, and helps others from the little she has. In May 2026, she was baptized.
A tour of the new Mission House in Lazareni (3 minutes)
“A miracle house.” Upstairs are dormitories with bunk beds for visiting mission teams, bathrooms, a laundry room, a lounge, and a kitchen and dining room. Downstairs is the main multi-purpose hall, where the Caleb Foundation gathers children of every age and adults from the village.
A sample mission trip to Lazareni (5 minutes)
Worship with the children, lead crafts and Bible lessons, and pray with the women and men of the village. Weld, build and clean up alongside the Caleb Foundation team. Then step into Roma homes to pray with families and help them with their medication. Come to serve, experience God’s love firsthand, and leave changed. Every mission trip is tailored to the team that comes: its size, its gifts and the time it has. This video is one sample of what a team can do. Ask about a trip
Our work among the Roma: three voices from Lazareni (2024, 3 minutes)
Two former students and a man who grew up in the village tell what the Caleb Foundation has meant to them: learning Romanian at school, teachers who loved them, a trip to a lake their parents could never have paid for. “What the kids have here,” he says, “for me as a young boy was just a dream.” Since John and Suzanne came, and Alina and George carried the work on, “it is like the kingdom of God was spread all around.”
Lazareni in pictures.
Camps, classrooms, Christmas parties, the sewing room, the mission house. Tap any photo to see it large.
One village road, a quarter century and counting.
This is Lazareni as the satellites see it: the Caleb Foundation on the village's main road, homes along both sides and farm fields stretching away behind. Kids in Crisis has been part of this road since 1999.
Your gift becomes a teacher's salary, a meal, a well, a Bible, a Christmas.
Every gift is tax-deductible. Give once or monthly by card, or use Venmo, cryptocurrency or stock through Every.org. Checks can be mailed to PO Box 1263, Edgewater FL 32132.
Make a gift
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