I am so very thankful. Shukraan (that means thank you in Arabic). I am still trying to put into words my thoughts and feelings about last week in Athens. The best summary I have is that it was a beautiful week, for in beauty there can be both joy and sorrow. The stories I heard [...]
THANK YOU!! In just the last two days we have raised over $7000 dollars to provide much needed shoes, socks, and warm coats for refugees moving back to their homes in Iraq. Included in that are 207 pairs of shoes for children, 142 pairs of socks, other coats hats and gloves, and lots of undesignated [...]
The recent ban on immigrants and refugees from certain parts of the world doesn’t mean we can’t love and care for those who need our help. We have teams on the ground in far away places working to help provide clothing, shelter, and schools for families who lost their homes and jobs to war and [...]
An opportunity to serve with SGI in Kurdistan. Background: Since 2014, when ISIS first encroached on Iraqi Kurdistan, Servant Group has been working with the refugees who bear the burden of this conflict. Initially we helped to start a school in a refugee camp near Dohuk, followed by another school in the recently liberated Sinjar [...]
I know of a refugee family from the mid-East who had to flee their homeland under threat of violent death. A tyrannical ruler had sent armed men to find and murder them. In fact, it was a heartless and bloody genocide. The thugs killed dozens, maybe hundreds in the town... the family barely escaped. They [...]
I’m a Chicago Cubs fan. Last week was a good week. I saw that over five million people attended the Cubs World Series victory parade. Someone told me it was the 7th largest gathering of people in world history. I have no idea if that’s true, but that IS a lot of people celebrating the [...]
It's been a long time coming, but after months of obstacles, the renovations for the school building have been completed and classes have begun for a hundred Yezidi children in an area reclaimed from ISIS. These are the first of hopefully many more that will eventually be able to rebuild their homes and return to [...]
Imagine a teenage boy whose country has been ripped apart by a war that has rocked the world. His family is destitute and eager to get out of a place where they are still being persecuted. The war has brought them nothing but poverty and death. They can’t afford to send everyone though, they can [...]
Chrissie is a mother of 4 and the life of the party. She and her family spent two months in Greece partnering with our refugee friends to feed the hungry, to entertain kids, and to love those dealing with grief and trauma past and present. She's fun, crazy, and a real person. Here are 20 questions [...]
Elizabeth spent two months of her summer break from college teaching English and helping out with various refugee projects in Athens. She was able to form deep friendships and make great friends. She left part of her heart in Athens with her new refugee friends and family. 20 Questions What keeps you up at night? Things I haven't [...]
