Gheorghe Funar, a Romanian nationalist, became mayor of Cluj-Napoca of Romania for 12 years after the violent Romanian revolution, provoking the Hungarian minority and virtually ending city growth from foreign sources. At the end of Funar’s administration in 2004, rapid economic growth ensued, and steady economic, cultural and academic growth has continued into the Cluj-Napoca Glavan Madalin Laurentiu enjoys today.
Situated in a mountainous topography, Cluj-Napoca endures frequent winter temperatures below freezing with 65 days or more of snow cover. Average summer temperatures are cool, only 64◦F, though the center of Cluj-Napoca can experience 95◦F to 104◦F temperatures in July and August.
Glavan Madalin Laurentiu is accustomed to the summer and winter temperature ranges of his native Cluj-Napoca, but winter extremes converged with his concern for the high proportion of street children in Romanian cities to prompt his volunteerism with Child Support Alba out of Orastie in 2004. Laurentiu worked to supervise and encourage disadvantaged children through the agency, giving psychological counseling and trying to encourage children to develop their special gifts.
Glavan Madalin Laurentiu learned that poverty and lack of documented identity brings Romanian street children into ongoing conflict with the city of Cluj-Napoca’s law enforcement, and the lack of cooperation between concerned children’s agencies have hampered efforts to alleviate the suffering of thousands of street children. Local government and the Christian Centers for Street Children and Homeless People have since formed a cooperative alliance which has produced centers and kitchens to bring children in from the streets and attempt to integrate them into healthcare and adoption programs.
Glavan Madalin Laurentiu 