Hendersonville – Moldova World Children’s Fund (MWCF) is based in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and is primarily committed to relieving the suffering and improving the lives of Moldovan children. This small Eastern European country, which borders Ukraine and Romania, finds itself caught up in Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine. Over 100,000 refugees have poured over its borders seeking asylum. Shelter with folding beds, mattresses, linens, blankets and pillows have all been needed for accommodation. Portable multi-toilet and multi shower buildings were constructed by MWCF for ready use.
Thanks to a group of Hendersonville residents, including its founder Ray West and Board Chairman, Albert Gooch, and others, humanitarian aid is reaching Moldova. Albert Gooch served locally as chairman of United Way, President of the Rotary Club and Chairman of the Flat Rock Playhouse. Elaine Marshall, the North Carolina Secretary of State, is also a charter member and participates actively in a 25-year formalized NC-Moldova Partnership to work together in a cooperative effort to improve and enrich the lives of Moldovans.
Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991, the tiny country declared its independence as the Republic of Moldova. It is an agricultural country with very limited access to the sea and little in the way of energy producing natural resources. The land is highly fertile, with rich black soil covering almost all of the country. The transition from a controlled economy to a free market economy has been certainly difficult and challenging. Russia is doing everything it can to force the country to remain under its control. Moldova is considered the poorest country in Europe. The overwhelming majority of the population is ethnic Romanian and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Only 5% are Russian. It became a member of the United Nations in 1992. To better understand the climate, the country is at the same latitude as Montreal.
Ray West, President of MWCF, has spent over 25 years guiding the charity and responding to continual crises within the country, with particular emphasis on helping children. A retired US Navy Captain formerly stationed in Moldova, he visits the country continually, often with a group of citizens from this area. As Jeannie Gooch, a former teacher currently living in Flat Rock, said: “We came home with endless stories…of great need…of American generosity…of Moldovan gratitude…of children’s successes despite having to learn their letters in coats and mittens. Can we let these children go untended? Definitely not.” Ray helps administer the organization with an on-the-ground team in Moldova, rebuilding hospitals, such as the children’s hospital in Ceadyr-Lunga, renovating the Fortuna Family Home in Drochia, and other orphanages, as well as providing monthly assistance. The list of what has been accomplished is amazing—roofs replaced, central heating installed, gas lines laid, constructing new dormitories, as well as helping youngsters with their individual struggles. As Flat Rock resident, Jim Olson, Vice Chairman, said, “We leverage the Fund’s limited resources very well, having good connections through Ray’s many years in Moldova in undertaking needed projects.”
In 2006 N.C. State University with the help of the N.C. National Guard and MWCF provided 400 computers to 48 schools and orphanages in Moldova. Wake Forest University Children’s Hospital sent surgeons to Moldova to perform reconstructive surgery on burn victim Natalia Bolea allowing her to close her eyes for the first time in 14 years. Adriana Verejan with Crouzon’s Syndrome, an impounded brain condition, was flown to Winston-Salem for surgery. The N.C. Secretary of State’s office has created a bilateral School Partnership Program. Over the years Secretary Marshall and her staff have facilitated donations of over 100,000 pounds of textbooks, library materials, life-saving medical supplies and equipment via MWCF.
Volunteers entered war-torn Ukraine delivering Hendersonville’s Guidon Brewery funded explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) gear to Kyiv. John Culp from Waynesville, NC, played a significant role in providing hands-on training for the National Police of Ukraine in relation to this mission. Following the intentional destruction of a hydroelectric power plant dam on Ukraine’s Dnieper River by Russian invaders in June 2023, thousands of homes were submerged, as entire villages were destroyed. Despite the security concerns in the war zone, MWCF acted swiftly to provide assistance.
Since 2020, 7% of its $5.5 million in donations has gone to administrative expenses, leaving 93% for program. Contributions are highly encouraged to address increasingly challenging circumstances. To donate, visit their website at www.moldovawcf.org or send checks by mail to Moldova World Children’s Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 548, Hendersonville, NC 28793-0548. As a boots-on-the-ground organization, their mission is to alleviate suffering and to improve the lives of people in desperate need.