The Foundation Betania ONLUS was established in 2007 thanks to an initiative of the founder of our Institute, Father Pancrazio Nicola Gaudioso. His wish was to create a non-profit institution that could operate worldwide to support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged part within our society.
The Foundation’s main purpose is to provide assistance as well as human and spiritual formation to young people in disadvantaged situations and is basically concerned with:
Brazil
The Foundation’s current most important project concerns the construction of a village for young people in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. In recent years the Foundation has built there a kindergarten and a nursery school (for about 120 children from the first months of life up to the age of 6), a football pitch, a multi-sports ground and has just completed the construction of the convent where the religious of the Franciscan Fraternity of Bethany will live and work.
The Foundation intends to complete the village with a school (from elementary to high school, up to vocational schools) for about 600 children and young people, through which to transmit – in addition to a high-level school education – values, interpersonal skills and cultural competences that will ensure that young people can face life constructively.
Italy
In Italy the Franciscan Fraternity of Bethany is active with projects of youth plus adult formation and with various charitable activities (soup kitchen, collection and distribution of food, distribution of clothing, etc.).
In this sense the Foundation is collocated as a partner of the Vita Consacrata Institute, supporting their projects.
Currently, the Foundation pledged to finance the construction of a food distribution center at the Terlizzi House, a facility to collect and distribute foodstuffs to the many people and families who turn to the Fraternity on a daily basis for help.