Let’s Get It Started!
We are excited to announce the launch of OpenRefuge, Inc. For the past year or more, I (Jeff) have been seeking ways to be present in the refugee crisis. After several trips to Athens, Greece, developing relationships with refugees and social workers on the ground, we have launched OpenRefuge as an open source nonprofit initiative, seeking to make friends with refugees, share stories with one another, and be present in the midst of the Refugee Crisis.
What does it mean to be present?
At the heart of OpenRefuge is a desire to sit, listen, and understand what is happening in the daily lives of refugees. Refugees have had their freedom and dignity stolen from them. They are often treated as a problem in need of a solution rather than a person with a struggle. Yes, refugees need various things done for them but more than doing things for them, our friends have expressed a desire to be known. So we take regular trips to Athens, Greece to eat, drink, tell stories, laugh, and cry together. In these moments, friendships are formed and partnerships begin.
Housing Assistance Program
One of the greatest needs pertaining to the refugee crisis in Greece is housing. There are 65,000+ refugees in Greece at the moment and 11,000 of them are homeless. The Greek government continues to shut down squats putting more and more refugees on the streets with every closure. This includes young families, pregnant mothers, persons with disabilities, and others with severe PTSD. And it is one of the greatest concerns among our refugee friends. Interestingly, none of our friends have asked for housing themselves but rather for persons they know who are in more difficult situations. In response we have created a Housing Assistance Program.
Funding Refugee Start-ups
As we get to know one another, our friends begin to share their hopes, dreams, and talents. It comes as no surprise that they possess many gifts, talents, and strengths. During one of our trips, we met an individual who started a small business selling bread. Another person set up a make-shift cafe in his camp and invites people to sit and enjoy hot tea and basic breads. It’s not much but his hope is to give people the feeling of a cafe. Another friend, who loves to cook, has a dream of opening a restaurant. And still another friend learned to cut hair and is now cutting hair for small donations.
In addition to homelessness, one of the greatest needs in Greece is jobs and ways to support their families. Refugees often enjoy Greece, and are allowed to seek asylum there, but jobs are few and far between. Our next goal beyond the Housing Assistance Program is to help fund refugee start-ups as a form of job creation. Meeting friends with an entrepreneurial spirit and funding their initiatives can and will create jobs for their friends.
Empowering Futures
Our hope is to, in some small way, empower the futures of a generation of refugees who had their lives taken from them. If we can, in some way, give our friends hope and an opportunity to rebuild their future the best they see fit, then our laughs and cries will turn towards all out celebration. Visiting our friends in Athens and around the world as some of them relocate, providing homes for the vulnerable, and funding the entrepreneurs is our contribution. We would love for you to join us!
- Join us in Athens, Greece next Sept 22–30 or Sept 29-Oct 7
- Become a financial partner: www.patreon.com/OpenRefuge
- Follow us Facebook: www.facebook.com/OpenRefuge
- Visit our website and sign up for our monthly newsletter: www.OpenRefuge.org
