March 11, 2025

March 2025 Refugee Help (from home)

Hello dear friends, I returned to my home in Oakland, CA mid January 2025.  I had taken a fall on uneven sidewalk several months back (which caused a bad limp) and the pain continued since arriving home.  Last week, by the suggestion of the orthopedic surgeon, I had a total knee replacement and am now recovering. Sadly I cannot return to my refugee work in April as planned, but am hopeful of returning as soon as I’m confident on my feet. Despite this minor setback, I have continued my work with refugees abroad through NGOs and individuals that I have come to know throughout the years who often turn to…

December 11, 2024

December 2024 Refugee Help

I am in my last month helping refugees here in Greece.  Despite the cold winter months, people are still risking their lives to try to make it to a better life. So far this year, more than 49,000 asylum seekers and migrants – mostly from Syria, Palestine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Eritrea – have arrived in Greece by sea from Turkiye.   The camps are all full and the conditions grow worse.  The European Court recently ruled that the living conditions in the camps constitute “inhumane and degrading treatment” and that human rights are systematically violated.  There is great concern that the camps are becoming prisons, with no NGOs or…

November 11, 2024

November 2024 Refugee Work

Hello Dear Friends, With exhaustion, I write to you in my fourth week here in Greece.  Besides my old laptop giving up on me and needing repair, I have been very consumed.   I spend three days a week at the refugee center, offering English lessons, but also doing basic tasks such as helping to serve meals, providing coffee, holding babies and entertaining children, and mostly providing my attention and compassion to others.  In addition to offering language support, and purchasing and distributing essential supplies, I also help individuals and families navigate the asylum process.  And, of course, I help many independently based on their needs with food, money, asylum…

July 11, 2023

Lexine’s Refugee Work, July 4 2023

I am coming to the end of my three months here volunteering with refugees in Greece.  My heart aches for the many people I have met fleeing their countries and their horrid stories of what they have endured as well as in the long and difficult journeys to try to secure a better life.  Many are extremely educated and others are everyday families fleeing the wars and the horrors in their countries:  Taliban (in Afghanistan), Al-Shabaab (in Somalia), Houthis (in Yemen), Al-Assad’s regime (in Syria), etc.  I have truly met the most incredible people and am moved beyond words with what they have given up for safety and the hopes…

June 11, 2023

Lexine’s Refugee Work June 2023

It is my second month of working with refugees in the camps in Greece that are the gateway for refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Eritrea and many other countries.  We do not see any Ukrainians as they are immediately given permission for asylum and can fly in (rather than come by unsafe rafts in the sea) securing housing, medical care, education and the right to work…special privileges unlike any other refugees fleeing their countries from war and persecution. After 3 weeks in Athens, I decided to return to Lesvos as the center I was volunteering at on the island asked for my assistance since the island is being…

June 11, 2023

Lexine’s Refugee Work June 5, 2023

Two weeks have passed since my last update.  I’m finally feeling fully recovered from the Covid and busy as ever. I continue to teach English and with my style of teaching (a lot of exaggerated drama and bringing in fruits, vegetables, and many items we learn), have become a favorite of the women.  My class size has grown from 8 to 42 at last count. Above, one day in class we discussed a bigger topic: ‘Things That Can Never Be Taken Away From You”.  It was a very interesting class and the women acknowledged that family, their hijab, their thoughts, their culture, flowers and even the sound of birds singing…

May 11, 2023

Lexine’s First Update May 2023

I arrived in Turkey on April 13th…was immediately taken in by customs officers because they were concerned about all the eyeglasses I was bringing (to donate to refugees). They refused to look at my paperwork (showing which NGO was accepting the eyeglasses) and confiscated all my luggage, charged me fines, and even made me miss my plane (costing a hefty $600+ to reschedule onto another flight and not lose my original return tickets.  Miserable start…  And, if that wasn’t bad enough, I developed a bad case of Covid (my first even being vacc’d and boosted).  I was sick in bed for 14 days…pretty miserable. While in Turkey, I walked the…

January 6, 2023

Happy New Year: Three Miracles

Hello dear friends.    Happy Holidaze and Happy New Year!! I hope this email finds you well.  I, as most of you know, have been home from the refugee camps abroad for several months, but continue to stay in contact with families, individuals,volunteers and NGOs helping refugees abroad. Although at home, I continue to help those I met abroad, as well as help people I have learned to trust who are helping others on the move.  The world continues to be influx…people giving up everything they know, risking their lives, all moving for safety and with hope for a better life,… fleeing wars, persecution, poverty often secondary to climate change.  But amidst…

August 8, 2022

June 30, 2022: Third month in the Refugee Camp

Hello dear friends.   My trip is coming to an end.  It has been over two months that I have been working here with refugees.  It is a very sad state of affairs. As I speak, 28 Kurdish refugees (from Syria) are being held on the border from Turkey to Greece.  They are women and children and they are being starved out and not allowed to cross into Greece even though EU law states they have to be recognized as legitimate refugees and registered for asylum.    https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1176658/28-migrants-trapped-on-evros-islet-rescued/ In February three refugees were thrown off a boat by the Samos Hellenic Coast Guard. Two drown and fortunately, the one who…

August 8, 2022

May 29, 2022: Second month in Refugee Camp

There is so much going on here…it is hard for me to know where to begin.  I find myself involved with so many people in the camp, refugees living on the streets in Athens and in everyday life.  A few nights ago, I even almost got myself arrested as I tried to stop a huge Greek police officer (they are as bad or worse here than other places) from beating the shit out of a small Pakistani man they were arresting.  Okay…the man did not have papers…but was it necessary for the police to keep heavily pounding him in the face??  And the poor man, seeing me trying to stop…

August 8, 2022

May 13, 2022 Update on my Refugee Work

So much has gone on since two weeks ago when I last wrote.  I have been every day in the camp from morning until night and then often on the weekends, I have been making trips to the refugee camps outside of Athens where many refugees are being moved.   I teach English, help with a women’s group in the afternoon in the camp and when needed, run the little clothing room which consists of clothes that have been donated mostly from other EU countries.  Other things that I have been doing on my own time:  providing support for two Syrian fathers whose wives were killed back home and who are…

August 8, 2022

First Week back in Eleonas Camp: April 24, 2022

Hello Friends, I arrived Athens four days ago and have been busy every day in the camps and on the streets.  There are many families and children on the street…many more than there were six months ago when I was here.  I have heard from other volunteers that Afghan, Syrian, Iraqi, etc. families are being told they have to leave their small apartments (which were provided by the Greek UNHCR and Ministry Dept) to make room for Ukrainians who are now arriving.  So sad.  Is one human suffering more needy than another? Inside Eleonas Camp, there are about half as many residents (now about 2200), and no one knows what…