Caritas Member Newsletter 3 / 2025
Greetings from Caritas Finland’s Annual General Meeting and 65th Anniversary Celebration!
Caritas has been working to reduce inequality and spread love of neighbor in Finland for 65 years. We celebrated this milestone at our Annual General Meeting on April 24, 2025, in the parish hall of St. Mary’s Church.
The event began with Laura Koskelainen presenting the results of the Samanarvoinen elämäni – My Equal Life project. Researcher Riikka Suhonen then shared her experiences from the project’s workshops held in vocational schools. She had interviewed dozens of young people who had viewed Bangladeshi photographer GMB Akash’s images and read the stories of the people depicted.
The meeting continued with the formal Annual General Meeting. We shared more about Caritas’s work, approved the 2024 annual report and financial statements, and presented our plans for 2025. You can explore the annual report on our website.
During the meeting, we elected Meisa Dano to replace Giovanni Cararecci, who had requested to step down from the board. Thank you, Giovanni, for your work on the board! We’re glad to continue seeing you as an active volunteer. The board members until 2028 are: Chair Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, Pekka Palokangas, Mariam Dano, Meisa Dano, Osmo Vartiainen, Veronika Pollastrini, Father Joosef Dang, Klaus Damsten, and Alexandra Lahti-Nuuttila.
The most significant decision at the Annual Meeting was the approval of Caritas Finland’s new strategy for 2025–2029. It was presented by Secretary General Larissa Franz-Koivisto and Board Chair Bishop Raimo Goyarrola. The strategy outlines how we will continue our work to reduce inequality and promote love of neighbor. You can read the full strategy text on our website.
Staff Updates from Caritas
In April, Nanny Nordström joined our office part-time as a development cooperation specialist. She has been familiarizing herself with our development and global education projects and searching for new funding opportunities.
In May, Anna-Riina Hakala will take over from Meisa Dano in the volunteer development project. This project, funded by the German Bonifatiuswerk, also aims to recruit Caritas ambassadors in every parish. Meisa Dano will continue her roles on the Caritas board and with YoungCaritas.
Distinguished Austrian Guests at Caritas Finland
In April, Caritas Finland welcomed several high-level Austrian guests and had multiple opportunities to share about its work. First, Secretary General Larissa Franz-Koivisto joined the delegation of Doris Schmidauer, spouse of Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen. The delegation also included Suzanne Innes-Stubb, spouse of Finnish President Alexander Stubb. They visited, for example, Oodi Library and had lunch together. Doris Schmidauer has been a strong advocate for women’s rights and preventing domestic violence, and Caritas is a familiar organization to her in Austria. Franz-Koivisto was able to share what Caritas is doing in Finland.
Michael Landau, President of Caritas Europa and also Austrian, visited Caritas Finland for two days. He learned about our work and met the staff at our office. He also met with Bishop Raimo Goyarrola to discuss safeguarding and support for Caritas Estonia. Larissa Franz-Koivisto and staff from the diocesan office also attended the meeting.
Easter Egg Workshops in the Ukraine Project
As part of Caritas’s project supporting Ukrainians, Father Vitalii organized Easter egg decorating workshops during Lent in both Helsinki and Lahti. These warm and inspiring events were made possible with the support of Caritas Finland, the Greek Catholic Church in Finland, and other partners.
The event brought together Ukrainian families, children, and anyone interested in traditional pysanka art. Participants had the chance to try various decorating techniques, learn about the symbolic meanings of colors and patterns, and create their own unique Easter eggs. The event emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage—even far from home.
“We’re happy to announce that this event will become an annual tradition in Lahti. It brings together the Ukrainian community and all who value culture and Easter traditions,” said Father Vitalii.
Lenten Collection Focused on Local Needs – Thank You for Your Donations!
During Lent, Caritas raised funds for its work in Finland. We’ve deepened our cooperation with parishes to help low-income families, people at risk of social exclusion, and the lonely. Support is needed in the form of guidance and counseling as well as financial aid.
Caritas Finland distributes food gift cards before Christmas and helps children and youth with camp fees in the summer. If you’d like to support our domestic social work on a regular basis, you can set up a monthly donation through our website. Fill in the donation form and choose the amount that suits you. Your support will automatically go toward summer camp aid during the summer and food gift cards at Christmas.
Upcoming Events:
World Village Festival – May 24–25 at Suvilahti, Helsinki
Welcome to the Caritas table at the World Village Festival! You can now sign up as a volunteer for a few hours on Saturday, May 24, between 11:00–21:00 or on Sunday May 25, between 11:00–19:00. Contact Katri at katri.vanwensen@caritas.fi.
You can also visit our table to learn about our development cooperation projects and shop ethically produced products. Find us at the Market of Possibilities in Kattilahalli at table MT561.
Events at the Caritas Office
Kuusitie 6, 00270 Helsinki
Surplus Food Distribution every other Monday from 15:00–15:20. Spring 2025 distribution dates: May 12, May 26, and June 9. Distribution takes place at the Caritas office. Around 30 food bags are available each time. We are part of the City of Helsinki’s Stadin safka food aid network. More information at ruoka-apu.fi.
Caritas Café and Extended Shop Evenings: On shop evenings, the store is open later. From 15:00 onwards, our social advisor Hannele Liukkonen serves coffee and light snacks. The next café and shop evening is Thursday, May 15 from 15:00–20:00.
Don’t Forget the Caritas Shop and Sewing Services!
The Caritas shop is open at Kuusitie 6, 00270 Helsinki, Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 15:00. Our online store is always open at www.caritas.fi/caritas-kauppa.
At the Caritas sewing service, you can order repair work and custom sewing projects. Proceeds support the work of Caritas Finland. Please get in touch in advance to arrange a visit: caritas@caritas.fi, subject line “ompelupalvelu” (sewing service).
