NEW YORK – This is one of those years when Orthodox Easter falls more than a month after Western Christendom. For the people of Greece that means they celebrate their feast of feasts amid the anxiety and uncertainty of two crises, and International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is there to help.
The European Union’s and International Monetary Fund’s latest review of Greece’s finances and reform efforts has generated more squabbling and delay, and it is still unclear what fruit the EU’s agreement with Turkey will bear regarding the refugees. Regardless of how Greece’s neighbors respond, Greece has a legal – indeed a Christian – obligation to assist the refugees and migrants despite its own struggles.
Heeding Christ’s admonition to feed the poor, including the strangers among them, the people of Greece have risen to the occasion, led by domestic institutions such as the Church of Greece, and by groups in the Orthodox diaspora like Baltimore-based
IOCC’s Executive Director Dean Triantafilou told The National Herald “Great Lent reminds us that each day we should strive to emulate the love of Christ for those suffering from hunger, poverty or displacement like so many of the Syrian refugees that have landed on Greece’s shores. IOCC and our partner, Apostoli, the humanitarian arm of the Church of Greece, are responding to their most urgent needs with food and water, and helping ease some of the strain on Greece’s refugee relief efforts.”
Apostoli has been involved in refugee projects from the start of the crisis and Chrysanthe Loizos, who is a key IOCC staffer in Athens, told TNH that last fall they started a project funded by a group of European church agencies called the ACT alliance, of which IOCC is a member.
“We have been working on the islands of Chios, Samos, and Kos, but the situation has changed,” she said.
Before people entered Greece and passed through FYROM on the northwest Europe, but now that border is closed. “we are now focusing our assistance here in Athens, providing hot meals at Piraeus,” where a settlement spontaneously emerged that at one point had several thousand people.
IOCC is most valuable on the ground filling gaps. According to Loizos, “The municipality or a government official calls us and says ‘starting tomorrow we have no food at this location’ and we go there and assists in those needs,” and IOCC takes action.
They also distribute hygiene kits and their most recent large undertaking is the procurement of 2000 bunk beds to be used at the sites refugees are being sent to.
During the past few weeks the government opened a site at the western industrial suburb of Skaramagas and it is working on other sites for the people in Piraeus.
The moving process is problematic because the refugees don’t want to leave Piraeus. but another problem is a shortage of places to move them to.
PROVIDING A GOOD PASCHA
“We are ever mindful of the economic crisis in this country and that Greeks are suffering their own troubles,” Loizos said. “It’s very important to Apostoli and IOCC and whatever help we offer the refugees, we also consider and are trying to contribute to the local population.”
Triantafilou echoed her words. “As Greece continues to care for these refugee families, IOCC continues to address the needs of Greek families facing their own uncertainties as a result of the prolonged economic crisis. We are supporting the distribution of dry food parcels and prepaid grocery cards to families living in poverty, and medical supplies for financially strapped public hospitals and community clinics across Greece,” he said.
IOCC specifically requested from ACT permission to use funds to help local communities. “We are making donations of food that will be distributed to families in need, possibly during Holy Week…so they can celebrate the feast of Pascha,” Loizos said.
Loizos’ tenure with IOCC has included assignments in Beirut and the Republic of Georgia, and some time at headquarters in Baltimore.
She went to Beirut not long after the 33 day war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006.
IOCC had an ongoing program providing public school lunches in various parts of Lebanon, and in 2006 it was “providing emergency relief, especially in southern Lebanon which was badly affected by the conflict.”
IOCC IN GREECE
IOCC implements its programs in Greece through Apostoli. IOCC supports Apostoli and helps it build capacity, helping them carry out their programs.
There are four programs they are currently undertaking with financial support from IOCC, including Give for Greece, which is funded by several US donors, and focuses on supporting Greeks most affected by the economic crisis, especially school children.
IOCC also supports agricultural associations in northern Greece obtain equipment, seeds and other items that help them increase capacity and make them more competitive in international markets.