Perrysburg Rotary's Two-Decade Partnership Brings Hope to Girls in Romania
For more than 25 years, the Perrysburg Rotary Club and the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation have helped change the lives of vulnerable young women in Romania through their support of the Deborah House in Timisoara, Romania. Since 2001, the club and its foundation, working with Rotary International and Rotary District 6600, have contributed more than $300,000 to the ministry, which provides safe housing, education, counseling, and hope for girls rescued from abuse and the threat of human trafficking.
In April, Perrysburg Rotarians Dr. Wayne Koskinen and Greg Rufty, along with their wives, Tana Koskinen and Maria Reiter, spent several days visiting the Deborah House and
seeing firsthand the impact of the club's long-standing commitment. They were joined by former Perrysburg Rotarian Jeff Normand and his wife, Debbie, and Lee and Debbie Brower. The four of them recently recapped their visit in a presentation to Perrysburg Rotary Club members at a weekly lunch meeting.
The group visited Recaș, near Timișoara, to observe the "Back to School" program, which provides food assistance to families to help ensure their children can attend school. The itinerary also included cultural tours of Timișoara and Sibiu, as well as attendance at two Rotary meetings.
Their trip also included a visit to the Alpinis Leadership Center, where the girls attend leadership and outdoor camps. The Leadership Center is a Christian ministry and leadership formation lodge located in the Carpathian Mountains near Sibiu, Romania. Operated by Missio Link International, it hosts retreats, camps, and training programs aimed at developing character, faith, and servant leadership.
"It was an incredible experience to see firsthand the results of our club and foundation's efforts," said Dr. Koskinen. "When we first arrived, the girls in the home were somewhat wary of us as outsiders,” added Mr. Rufty. “At the end of our visit, there were hugs and a sense of family among everyone there."
The Deborah House was founded in 1998 after Romanian ministry leader Lorena Rusovan rescued a six-year-old orphaned girl from severe abuse. Recognizing that Romania had few
resources for girls suffering trauma, Rusovan partnered with Missio Link International to establish Deborah House, the country's first residential care and treatment center dedicated to girls recovering from severe physical and sexual abuse.
Perrysburg Rotary became involved in 2001 after a club member witnessed the lasting effects of Romania's communist era, when thousands of abandoned children were left to live their lives on (and under) the streets or in institutional orphanages, where they were vulnerable to human traffickers and a wide variety of other personal hazards.
Since then, the club has worked with two Romanian Rotary Clubs and helped fund several Rotary International grants that have strengthened the Deborah House's mission. A passenger van now safely transports girls to school, replacing train travel that once left them exposed to traffickers. Additional grants funded computers, a security system with high-tech cameras, mandated plumbing upgrades, greenhouses, a fruit orchard, and an irrigation well. The last three enable the girls to grow produce for their own meals and to sell at local restaurants and farmers markets. Along the way, they learn practical skills in gardening, cooking, baking, and entrepreneurship.
"The girls don't have government protection, so this home is critical to preserving their well-being," said Maria Reiter.
For Tana Koskinen, the visit was deeply meaningful. "It was a very eye-opening experience for the four of us, given everything that we have in our lives here in this country," she said.
Today, Deborah House operates two homes that provide a safe, family-like environment that have housed hundreds of girls. Perrysburg Rotary members say the experience reaffirmed the importance of their club's international service and the lasting difference that sustained partnerships can make.
"Our support has never just been about funding projects," Dr. Koskinen said. "It's about helping these girls build brighter futures filled with safety, opportunity, and hope."
The Perrysburg Rotary Club is a dedicated organization of over 90 community leaders committed to strengthening Perrysburg, the surrounding area and international communities through hands-on projects, fundraising efforts, and community partnerships. Its philanthropic arm, the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that is celebrating 40 years of making an impact. Since the year 2000, the Foundation has contributed more than $2.5 million to local and global initiatives.
For more information about the Foundation or to make contributions or submit grant requests, visit prcf.org or contact: Jack Sculfort, Executive Director, 419-343-5920, jack.sculfort@prcf.org.
