Our Greece is burning.
There's no way to sugar-coat it. There are fires burning around Athens, in Arcadia, Messinia, and the monster fire on the island of Evia, as well as smaller fires here and there, destroying homes, killing animals and decimating groves and forests, including a famous 2500 year old olive tree. This tree - really, at that age I'd call it a "being" - was as old as the Acropolis, and it's now charcoal.
Along with the raging flames there are equally raging opinions as to what caused them - the excessive heat, climate change, greedy developers, and even Turkish agents (although Turkey is having it's own fires, so...). Some say a combination of all of those. At this point it may be premature and unhelpful to point fingers, but by God there needs to be a reckoning when the flames are all are out.
Maybe you've seen the gut-wrenching footage on Greek social media of residents fleeing by ferry as the coast of Evia turns into a literal hellscape. Or the courageous but outgunned firefighters, including volunteer Katerina Ioannidou, who has become one of the faces of heroism during these past days.
And maybe, like me, your heart is breaking and you want to do some good.
Here are some organizations that are helping. Please consider donating - if not to any of these, than one of your choosing.
Greece Media - Donations to Affected Families through The Hellenic Initiative
Dogs' Voice - Helping animals caught by or left behind in the fires. Link goes to their Facebook page for more information.
Hellenic Aesthetic is offering the sale of tee shirts, with all proceeds going to the Hellenic Red Cross and the Hellenic Initiative.
The Greek City Times is offering a resource list for those folks who are physically in Greece and want to help.
Please give if you can.
Thank you,
Barbara