A Big Disappointment

More than 2 years ago, the Veritas staff began working on a massive grant proposal, which would use European Union funds to significantly renovate and expand one of the Veritas buildings. The Family Center, what we call the building which houses the Veritas social ministries for families, is a former fur coat factory which was purchased in 1998 by Veritas and transformed into a social service center. In the past 13 years, Veritas activities have outgrown the space. Additionally, the poorly-constructed building, which served our needs at the beginning, is becoming more and more difficult to maintain.

One year ago, the grant-writing was finished and we began to wait. If rewarded to us, the grant would provide the equivalent of almost 1 million US dollars to transform the 1½ story Family Center building into a fully-renovated 3-story building, complete with furnishings.

This month (Feb 2011), we received word that Veritas did not receive the grant. We were all, understandably, quite disappointed when we heard the news. There is still a chance that the decision can be contested, meaning we would need to make several major changes in the grant proposal to meet their approval.

If we don’t receive the grant, we are faced with the dilemma of what to do with the existing building. It is in need of repair and expansion, but we cannot afford the complete renovations which the grant would have provided. We must also consider the option of moving the Veritas programs into a different building.

Please be in prayer for the Veritas leadership team as they wrestle with these questions and seek God’s leading in the coming months.



The Veritas Family Center (pictured above) houses weekday ministries, including a kindergarten and afterschool activities for children and teenagers and clubs for people with disabilities. Hot lunches are provided here for children, teens, and the elderly. Material aid distribution and programs for the elderly are also coordinated from here as well.

Below: the Veritas staff prepares the grant proposal for submission in Feb. 2010.