Our story:
Born of love and hope.
Authenticity matters more to us than long corporate copy. On this page we show you openly and transparently who we are, why Jelas Place exists and how we use your donations.
Background and motivation:
Jela's journeyinspired us
A cancer diagnosis can turn your whole life upside down overnight. My family and I had to live through this painful experience in 2018, when my wife Jela was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, medical and existential questions shaped our everyday life with our four children. Jela died in the summer of 2021, at the age of just 42.
In all that pain, I began to search for meaning. During the hardest phase of the illness, Jela and I were fortunate enough to fly to Mallorca for a short break thanks to the help of friends. For a brief moment, life felt light again – we experienced how much light even a short break together can bring during the darkest times. But I know that many families do not have this support, or simply lack the financial means. That was the moment I knew I wanted to help.
What does the name mean?
For us, Jelas Place stands for a place where people can slow down, find some peace and reconnect with themselves. We want to give affected families the same kind of carefree break that Jela and I were fortunate enough to experience.
Behind the scenes:
From one person to another
Laris Kević
Founder & board member
I founded Jelas Place to give meaning to the greatest loss of my life. Together with our team, I put my whole heart into taking a little of the weight off affected families.
Our community:
We work with a network of dedicated volunteers, advisers and supporters who support our work.
We are a small, entirely volunteer team. For you that means: no anonymous call centre and no impersonal case handling. We handle every request personally, with care and compassion.
Our impact:
Real moments and reliable partnerships
We believe in transparent and sustainable foundation work. Every successfully organised trip is an important milestone for us – it shows how directly our support reaches the families who need it.
X families supported
So far we have been able to give X people affected and their relatives a restorative break.
over 100 days away made possible
Days full of normality away from clinics and treatments, funded entirely by the foundation.
Strong hotel partnerships
We work closely with partner hotels and private hosts who give us their spare capacity at fair “off-season prices”, so we can make the best use of donations.
Artistic support:
Special people such as the photographer Lutz Simon actively support our work, capturing the families’ memories with dignity.
Full transparency:
Structure and trust
What is a foundation?
In short: a foundation is an institution that permanently holds certain assets in order to serve a fixed, charitable purpose – in our case, free restorative breaks for people affected by serious illness.
Charitable status:
Jelas Place is officially recognised as charitable by the tax office. Our work is funded solely by the foundation’s assets, one-off donations and bequests.
How the funds are used
Because we work entirely on a voluntary basis, every euro goes towards organising, booking and funding the breaks (accommodation, and on request also travel costs and meals).
Donation receipts?
Yes, of course. As we are officially recognised as a charitable organisation, we issue an official donation receipt for every donation, which you can claim for tax purposes.