Senior strives to strengthen families in Romania

by Karin Dienst
Senior year has a lot of pressures, but it typically does not include finding ways to help abandoned children thousands of miles away. For Clare Vierbuchen, a psychology major from Houston, Texas, her academic rigors often pale in comparison to her struggles to strengthen families in Romania.

Five years ago when her family was living in London, England, Vierbuchen went on a week-long school trip to Romania to visit several orphanages. After that, there was no ignoring what she had seen, not even after her family returned to the United States and she enrolled at Princeton.

Now, from her room in Dod Hall, Vierbuchen runs a nonprofit organization called Open Doors, through which she raises funds to support a household of five abandoned children — and pays the salaries of two women who serve as their foster parents — in the town of Bistrita in northern Romania. She also is working to establish a community center in or near Bistrita, an area that has a large ethnic Romany population (commonly called "Gypsies").

According to Vierbuchen, the children she helps, who range in age from 5 to 9, "fell through the cracks" of the overextended child care system in Romania. Four of the children are siblings and were abandoned by their parents and placed in orphanages, but their parents, who will not give permission for them to be adopted, still visit them sporadically. The fifth child's mother is mentally ill. Through her efforts, Vierbuchen ensures that the children can live together in a stable home environment and attend a Montessori school.

To support the household, which Vierbuchen established in 2003 and refers to as a "family center," she has to raise $1,200 a month. She does this by finding sponsors for the children — currently there are nearly 20 regular supporters, including four Princeton students — but money is tight. If the funds grow, Vierbuchen hopes to add two more children to the family center and move them from their rented apartment to a house.

The responsibilities Vierbuchen has taken on are great, especially since her busy schedule as a Princeton senior includes 20 hours of work per week at various libraries on campus as well as babysitting jobs. "It's very stressful, but it's definitely worth it," she said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Every week, Vierbuchen, who taught herself Romanian, phones the children and their foster parents to catch up with their news. "I get phone cards and call to talk about school," she said. "And if the kids do anything bad I'm supposed to talk with them about that." Right now the excitement is building in anticipation of Vierbuchen's next visit over the winter break.

Read the full story in the Weekly Bulletin.