Debrecen4U March 3, 2026

Edit Bódor Re-Elected President of Debrecen Charity Board

On 2 March 2026, the representatives of the member organisations of the Debrecen Charity Board once again elected Edit Bódor—Ecclesiastical Liaison Officer of the Municipality of Debrecen and mayoral adviser—as President of the Board. Edit Bódor has held this position since 11 September 2024.

The Debrecen Charity Board held its session, featuring the presidential election, in the historic setting of the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen. At the event, Edit Bódor recalled that when she became President a year and a half ago, she inherited a team that must be led with responsibility—through shared thinking, with smiles, and with genuine joy. She emphasised the importance of working together: the staff of the member organisations consistently tackle the Board’s tasks collectively, whether organising programmes, assembling donation parcels, or distributing them. This collaborative spirit shapes the rhythm of each working year, culminating in the Advent season, when duties for the community continue even on Christmas Eve. For the Board, Advent is both the most demanding and the most uplifting period, as the shared, moving moments of that time make an entire year of effort worthwhile. It is also reassuring to know that the donations received and distributed by the Debrecen Charity Board always reach those most in need.

She also highlighted that although the Debrecen Charity Board has earned significant recognition over its ten years of operation, in recent times it has succeeded in expanding and strengthening its partnerships for the benefit of people in need, further deepening donor trust and increasing their willingness to give. The Board has found its place within the city’s social fabric. One particularly meaningful venue for building relationships and raising awareness of the challenges faced by those in need was the Civil Village at the Campus Festival, where the Board presented itself more prominently than ever before. The charitable spirit represented by the Board also resonated with young people in other ways: students from institutions belonging to the Debrecen School District Centre organised several charity drives, and students of the University of Theatre and Film Arts attending a camp in Debrecen were deeply moved when they met disadvantaged children—only slightly younger than themselves—for whom they had collected school supplies. This latter encounter took place in the Memorial Garden behind the Reformed Great Church, which, as Christmas approached, was transformed twice—thanks to the member organisations of the Charity Board—into a Soul Garden. In conclusion, Edit Bódor thanked the member organisations of the Debrecen Charity Board for their continued trust.

Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor and Co-President of the Debrecen Charity Board, assessed the activities of the Board’s members by stating that they all provide service of outstanding value. For ten years now, they have united their efforts in a truly supportive community while each member organisation has retained its individual identity, character and the priorities of its own profile. According to Diána Széles, Edit Bódor has brought a new colour to the Board with her own distinctive spirituality; she has successfully fostered internal cooperation, found common ground with everyone, strengthened external communication, and clearly demonstrated what a cohesive community the Debrecen Charity Board is and what it is capable of achieving for the city and for the citizens of Debrecen. Alongside the President, the Co-President thanked her colleagues—who together form an effective team—for their tireless work, and expressed her gratitude to all representatives of the member organisations for strengthening this community. The community of the Debrecen Charity Board is one of the city’s sources of pride, operating in a manner that sets an example for similar communities in other towns. The strength of Debrecen lies in its citizens, Diána Széles emphasised.

Following the speeches, the representatives of the member organisations of the Debrecen Charity Board who were present unanimously re-elected Edit Bódor as President of the Board.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu