Caritas Latvia (Latvian: Caritas Latvija) is a Catholic not-for-profit social welfare organisation in Latvia. It is a service of the Episcopal Conference of Latvia.[2]

Caritas Latvia
Caritas Latvija
Established10 November 2004; 20 years ago (10 November 2004)[1]
FounderEpiscopal Conference of Latvia[2]
TypeNonprofit
LV40008086191[3]
Registration no.40008086191
Legal statusfoundation[1]
Purposesocial services, humanitarian relief
Location
Coordinates56°57′03″N 24°06′12″E / 56.9507°N 24.1034°E / 56.9507; 24.1034
OriginsCatholic Social Teaching
Region served
Latvia
Servicessocial services
Official language
Latvian
Director
Inese Švekle
AffiliationsCaritas Europa, Caritas Internationalis
Revenue (2022)
927,450 412436 2021[4]
Expenses (2022)849,346 352029 2021
Websitewww.caritas.lv

Caritas Latvia is a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.

History and work

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A first charity organisation with the name Caritas Lavija was founded in 1995. The resources and facilities of this organisation were then taken over by the current organisation, established by the Latvian Bishops' Conference in 2004 and legally registered that same year.[5]

The mission of the organisation is to spread "Christian love", implement charity work and provide support to the vulnerable persons in society, as well as to promote volunteering and regional and rural development.[4]

In 2022, Caritas Latvia consisted of the national office and 19 local Caritas groups all over the country with in total around 160 volunteers. They provided assistance to approximately 500 people in need, including families, individual elderly people, children, people with disabilities, addicts, prisoners, and homeless people. The assistance provided was manifold and included the distribution of food packages and non-food products such as clothes and hygiene articles, the paiment of utility bills, but also accompaniment to medical consultations, home visits to lonely elderly people, visits to social care centres, children and youth centres and hospitals.[4] Caritas social workers are also providing support to refugees and asylum seekers.[6]

Caritas Latvia is a partner of the welfare department of the Riga City Council.[7]

In 2022, Caritas Latvia also raised funds to support the work of its sister agencies Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Nodibinājums "CARITAS LATVIJA"". Latvian Company Register (in Latvian). Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Caritas Latvija, nodibinājums". latvijaradits.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  3. ^ "CARITAS LATVIJA, Nodibinājums". firmas.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Annual Report 2022". caritas.lv (in Latvian). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Nodibinājums „Caritas Latvija"". Minister of the Interior - Directorate of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Sociālā darbinieka un sociālā mentora atbalstu saņēmuši 286 patvēruma meklētāji, bēgļi un personas ar alternatīvo statusu". Government of Latvia - Society Integration Fund (in Latvian). 9 May 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Iedzīvotājus aicina iesaistīties brīvprātīgajā darbā Rīgas sociālās aprūpes institūcijās". TV3 (in Latvian). 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Latvijas draudzes Ukrainas atbalstam "Caritas" kontā ieskaitījušas vairāk nekā 43 000 eiro". katolis.lv (in Latvian). 26 September 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
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