Elderly Club leader retires

Mia Golea

Originally published in Veritas View newsletter, Spring 2019

After 20 years of working in a variety of roles at Veritas, Mia Golea has retired. Her work was celebrated in a special devotional and reception time on February 22. 

Mia’s work with Veritas began when she became the first manager of the International Café. She took care of the paperwork necessary to start this for-profit business, never easy here in Romania. 

Mia’s real love, however, was caring for people, so when asked to consider leading an Elderly Club in the Baragan area of Sighisoara, she went door-to-door to see if people were interested. The club began, grew rapidly, and exists today as one of three Elderly Clubs. Mia worked with clients in all three locations. 

Mia expressed her care for the elderly in quiet service. She knew their names, their family histories, their preferences, their struggles. She laughed and cried with them. She baked cakes and visited those who couldn’t leave their homes, she visited them in the hospital. Dorothy Tarrant said, “She brought joy, peace and hope into many fragile lives.” 

Jonathan, Mia, Petra and Roberta look 
at the scrapbook gift given to Mia.

Of all her jobs, Mia enjoyed most working with the elderly. She said, “They needed attention and it felt good to be able to give it.” At the time of Mia’s retirement, it was decided to have the Elderly Club that meets at the Nazarene Church become a program of the church, rather than one of the clubs within Veritas. So, now as a volunteer, Mia continues her work with these club members. This was very important to Mia, both for the clients so their club wasn’t disrupted, and for herself. 

The Veritas staff wish Mia God’s grace and presence as she enters this new stage in her life.