Project Love

The Arizona Peace Center’s ‘Project Love’ began in September of 1992, at the height of the War of Independence in the former Yugoslavia. A small group of Marian Travel Service pilgrims visited the devastated village of Miljkovici, about six miles from Medjugorje and saw firsthand the needs of the war victims. In the months and years that followed, and to the present time, Project Love has aided refugees, widows and orphans, families in need of financial assistance, convents, and monasteries and churches in the surrounding areas of Medjugorje. Project Love delivered your monetary donations, blankets, clothes, toys, school supplies, hospital equipment, drugs and medicines, and tons of love and prayers!

Since 1992, you have been generous and compassionate and you will never be forgotten. You have no idea how much joy you have brought to so many people. Ponder this: $50 gave a poor mother hope because thousands of miles away someone cared about her children. How can you measure the good that could come from such an act of mercy? Think about the joy an inexpensive toy, stuffed teddy bear, or candy cane brought to a child. Will that child ever forget? And the hungry – as they ask Our Lord to bless their food – will they not ask him to also bless those who provided it? Will the Franciscans, whose churches and convents you rebuilt, remember you in their daily masses and prayers?

On one of our pilgrimages we visited Mother’s Village, the orphanage founded by Father Slavko Barbaric, OFM. The orphanage consists of eight individual homes staffed by Franciscan Sisters of Medjugorje. Although each home had a clothes washer, none of them had the “luxury” of a clothes dryer. About $4000 was needed to buy eight good dryers. We started a drive to raise the money and, as always, so many of you generously contributed.

The war ended some time ago, but the need continues. The unemployment rate is almost 25%! There are still children in the orphanages, young families growing up without their fathers, and homes that need repairs. Specific medications are not always available and, if they are, the price is prohibitive. With monetary resources we could support these orphanages, buy materials for home repairs, and deliver life-saving prescriptions.

During our conferences, we take up one collection, which takes place at Sunday Mass, every penny of which goes to Project Love.  We depend on your donations to keep this mission alive. We offer our prayers for all those who so generously support this cause with donations – you are the love in Project Love!

Project Love
c/o Helen Zec
13323 Castle Rock Drive
Sun City West, AZ 85375

Make checks payable to:  Project Love