Caritas member letter 5 / 2025
Greetings from the Secretary General
Thank you for your support and participation in the fundraising campaigns!
Spring 2025 was an active time for Caritas Finland. We organized two collections in cooperation with parishes. The Lenten collection focused on Caritas’ work in Finland. During the summer, with your donations, we supported dozens of needy children and young people to enter various camps. Many who participated in the first communion and confirmation camps received support. We also supported Ukrainian children living in Finland, who participated in the Ukrainian community’s family camp with their families.
In June, around Pentecost, we collected money for Ukraine. Our Ukrainian partners are very grateful for our support.
Membership and donations are the cornerstone of our operations. We especially wish all new members a warm welcome to the Caritas family! Thank you for walking with us!
Larissa Franz-Koivisto, Secretary General of Caritas Finland
Early autumn is a time for many encounters!
We will be visiting the diocesan celebration in Lohja and will have guests from Bangladesh. It would be great to see you at various events!
Saturday, August 16, 2025 Diocesan celebration in Lohja
You will find us after mass in the smaller tent next to the large event tent in Vivamo. Come and say hello and hear how you can be involved in the important relief work that Caritas is doing both in Finland and internationally.
Monday, August 18, 2025 Surplus Food Distribution Day
The distribution will be organized every other Monday at the Caritas office at Kuusitie 6, 00270 Helsinki, from 3:00 PM to 3:20 PM. There is a limited number of approximately 30 food bags each time. The next distribution days are 1.9., 15.9. and 29.9. We are part of the City of Helsinki Stadin safka distribution network.
Wednesday 27.8.2025 Meet our Bangladeshi partners in Lauttasaari
A joint project between Caritas Finland and a Bangladeshi organization improves the rights of migrant workers and supports victims of human trafficking. Caritas’ Bangladeshi partners will visit Finland in August. You can meet them on 27.8. at the St. Jakob’s Church in Lauttasaari, Myllykallionrinne 1.
At 3 pm, an English-language seminar introducing the project and the work of our Bangladeshi partner organization.
At 5 pm, a warm Bangladeshi evening with music and food. Welcome to taste Bangladeshi delicacies!
The events are open to everyone and you can participate in one or both sections. We ask that you register by August 24th using the form found behind the link.
New faces in the office
At the beginning of August, Development Manager Leena Luukkonen started working at our office. She is responsible for Caritas’ operational development and development cooperation projects in Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. The person responsible for the project supporting Ukrainians living in Finland was Ukrainian father Andrii Khomen, who moved to Finland with his family in the summer. We are grateful to father Vitalii, whose work continues in Ukraine.
Remember the Caritas shop and sewing service!
The Caritas shop is open at Kuusitie 6, 00270 Helsinki, Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. Our online shop is always open at www.caritas.fi/kauppa.
At the Caritas sewing shop, you can have repairs and custom work done. The proceeds from the service support the activities of Caritas Finland. Please contact us and arrange a visit in advance: caritas@caritas.fi, subject of the message “sewing service”.
We wish all our members a blessed start to autumn!
