WHO WE ARE...
AND HOW WE GOT HERE...
A few years ago we started thinking about how we could support refugees making their way to Greece with more than the money that we had and continue to contribute to Humanity Now. When our planned trip to the Balkans was postponed due to COVID and potentially rescheduled for the fall of 2023, we wondered if we could arrive early and, with the help of our sister, Dana, find a way to directly lend or hand-on support. This led us to a Zoom meeting with Mustafa Mohammad and Doris Dimopoulos of the Velos Youth Centre of Athens, who provide direct aid to young refugees, mostly 16-25 year olds. After interviewing us, Mustafa and Doris agreed that our experiences with students in the United States and our experiences with minor renovations and light construction was a good fit for them. We found a place to stay in Athens and arrived on October 19th to begin contributing.
This Blog is intended for our family, friends and contributors to give a sense of our work with the young people at Velos and it's amazing staff!
WHO THEY ARE...
AND HOW THEY GOT HERE...
Velos Youth Centre provides direct aid to young refugees, nearly all unaccompanied minors, who arrive speaking little-to-no English or Greek. The Velos Youth Centre website (velosyouth.org) provides great insight into their mission.
To learn about this dire situation in Greece we encourage you to read Dana Sachs' book, All Else Failed, The Unlikely Volunteers at the Heart of the Migrant Crisis.
