The Trust in the Family project will be implemented by the Bulgarian partner Tulip Foundation

In this way, support will be provided to nearly 250 children from poor families in 15 villages in Bulgaria

The project is estimated at almost 100 thousand euro, the financing will be provided entirely by UniCredit Foundation

2,250 UniCredit Bulbank employees (56%) have participated to the “Your choice, Your project” initiative: more than 970 have voted for the Tulip Foundation project

UniCredit Foundation, Tulip Foundation and UniCredit Bulbank start a new joint project –Trust in the Family: Supporting children by strengthening families at risk. As the name suggests, the project is aimed at helping families at risk stay together and preventing the instituzionalization of children.

Through the implementation of the project during a period of two years, the three institutions plan to help at least 250 children and their families stay together. „Often in poor families, single-parent families and families where either parent or both parents work abroad, the possibility is considered to leave the child to be brought up in a social institution. We believe that with the help of UniCredit Foundation, we can show how this can be avoided”, explained Maria Petkova, director of Tulip Foundation. According to what she said putting children in orphanages, which usually has severe negative consequences for them. The organization of so called “family meetings” is a way for supporting the faith and the strength of families to stay together.

The Trust in the Family project includes namely the organizing of such “family meetings” in cases where children and their families have problems. „This means that this project will benefit not only the children but also the members of their families, a total of around 3 000 people”, explained Petkova. The project will start first in 15 villages in the municipalities of Haskovo, Svilengrad and Lyubimets.

„I am extremely glad that we are starting this project in Bulgaria, thus helping more and more children to be able to grow up surrounded by their close family and relatives instead of in institutions”, said Maurizio Carrara, chairman of UniCredit Foundation.

He pointed out that the Foundation is happy to support this project and in this way finding long-term solutions to the social problems in the country.

Only a few months ago, there were opened two home care centers for elderly people who have been left alone as a result of the migration of their relatives – in Dobrich and in Smolyan, which was achieved with financing provided by UniCredit Foundation tothe Bulgarian Red Cross.

„The fact that within only a few months we are starting a second large-scale project in the country reveals the commitment of our Foundation and of UniCredit for coping with the social problems in Bulgaria”, said Carrara.

The financial aid to the Trust in the Family project is 97 000 euro, provided entirely by UniCredit Foundation.

The Trust in the Family project will be implemented thanks to the UniCredit Bulbank employees, who chose it by voting online selecting it among three social projects in total, proposed by three Bulgarian organizations selected by UniCredit Foundation within the initiative “Your choice, your project”.

„Bulgaria was the first country where to organize such voting among the employees because it was important for us to get the opinion of the people who are here and they to decide which project is the most needed one in the local communities, which UniCredit traditionally supports”, pointed out Carrara.

UniCredit Foundation will provide funding, although in a smaller amount, also to the two non winner associations, Bulgarian Red Cross (that proposed setting up a Help Line for psychological and social support) and the Center for social integration (that proposed a project for setting up a Job Center for visually impaired people).

CONTACTS

UniCredit Foundation

Via Durini n.9 – 20121, Milan (Italy)

Tel. +39 02 886 20085

e.-mail: dpnnvojdbujpotAvojdsfejugpvoebujpo/psh

UniCredit Bulbank

Viktorya Blazheva, tel.: 02/9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel.: 02/9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Tulip Foundation

Maria Petkova, Director of Tulip Foundation, 0888 62 74 08, nqfulpwbAuvmjqgpvoebujpo/ofu