April 4, 2016 EKO Gas Station Refugee Camp, Highway 75 near Polykastro, Greece By Dr. Bill Dienst “If you are in your twenties and you aren’t a bit of a revolutionary, you have no heart; but if you are in your 50’s and do not have some conservative tendencies, you have no brain.” (paraphrasing Winston … More Balancing our Souls, Somewhere between our Hearts and our Brains
29 February 2016 | Dr. Bill Dienst I landed here on the Northern shore of the Greek Island of Lesvos on 26 February. Lesvos is the third largest of the Greek Islands, and is the closest to the Turkish coast, separated on its Northern Coast by only 6 miles (10 km). For this reason, it has … More Lesbos Update
One last post from our volunteer Raafia G. Thank you for sharing your experience and photos! My last few days on Lesvos have been even more overwhelming than the firsts. I’ve learned that for most, it doesn’t get any easier any step of the way. It’s made me really think about how horrible their … More My last few days on Lesvos
Here is another post from Raafia G. The past two days have been a whirlwind and have felt like weeks. Every time I thought I heard the most heartbreaking story another family would arrive with there’s. It’s hard to stay strong for these refugees as they come off the boats from Turkey, but it’s … More A Whirlwind
Your home country is all that you know — it’s where you were raised, where you’ve loved, and where you’ve lived all your years. So what happens when one day, without warning, or without cause, that sense of security is ripped from you? War, violence, persecution for who you are or what you believe; your … More End of the Year Message From SCM
The post below was written by one of our volunteers, Raafia G. Thank you for sharing your experiences and photos Raafia! My first few days here have been a mix of emotions. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the ongoing crisis and am witnessing firsthand the struggles that the refugees are enduring every step … More The first few days
A quick update to let everyone know that our missions to the Greek island of Lesvos will continue through January 17th. Please contact Brenda@salaamculturalmuseum.org in the office for more information. You can also download our registration forms on our Dates and Registration page. We are in particular need of doctors and first responders. The boats … More Greece Missions Extended
12/3/2015 Hi all, As we gaze towards the Turkish coast, we see the Turkish Coast Guard trolling back and forth all day…and almost no arrivals on this side. Oxy camp is empty. We did some minor jobs and drove down the coast to Skala Camp, also quiet. Yesterday we helped the Greek Coast Guard to … More Calm before the storm? Mission Update 12/3/2015
12/1/2015 Hi all, We we worked a big boat this morning that may have been overloaded with as many as 250 Kurds. You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxYwLGl1Y0 Later, while we were at Lighthouse beach, we saw the big Greek navy ship go by. With binoculars we could see refugees on the aft deck. We … More Greece Mission Update 12/1/2015
This is an update sent to us by one of our Greece mission volunteers. His next post will be posted immediately after this, with photos taken just yesterday. 11/29/2015 Hi all, Lively day today with lots of boats. It was the first time that the new team was all together. The first boat that … More Greece Mission Update 11/29/2015
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