We awoke to a rainy morning and made our way to Glyfada for day two of interviewing local business owners.
Josh, Suzannah, and Bethany interviewed the owner of a specialty leather shoe store. She explained that the economic crisis had slowed business, and that it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete with larger companies. When asked if she would use free training if it was made available she gave an enthusiastic yes. After we had completed our interviews, we enjoyed exquisite burgers and free dessert at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon we heard from two speakers. The first speaker, Dan, is the co-founder of FAROS, a ministry that serves unaccompanied boys ages 12-18 in Greece. Before the escalation of the refugee crisis, there were only 300 shelter beds and over 1000 boys who needed shelter. The need for a shelter became even greater when refugees began arriving in the tens of thousands beginning in 2015. FAROS aims to provide a safe place for the boys, reconnect them with their families, provide education, teach English and Greek, and supply a structure in which they can begin to recover from trauma.
Next we heard from Tim. Born and educated in England, but with family connections to the Greek-speaking community, Tim and his family moved to Greece to help church-planing efforts. In Exarchia, the anarchist community within Athens, Tim and Alex, his church-planting partner, joined the life of the community, built relationships and eventually planted a church.
The church was received with skepticism, but they also found many points of connection with their community, and the refugee crisis offered an opportunity for them to serve alongside Exarchia residents. Now they have about 45 people attending the Exarchia church each week.
Josh, Suzannah, and Bethany interviewed the owner of a specialty leather shoe store. She explained that the economic crisis had slowed business, and that it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete with larger companies. When asked if she would use free training if it was made available she gave an enthusiastic yes. After we had completed our interviews, we enjoyed exquisite burgers and free dessert at a local restaurant.
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| In Glyfada after conducting surveys |
In the afternoon we heard from two speakers. The first speaker, Dan, is the co-founder of FAROS, a ministry that serves unaccompanied boys ages 12-18 in Greece. Before the escalation of the refugee crisis, there were only 300 shelter beds and over 1000 boys who needed shelter. The need for a shelter became even greater when refugees began arriving in the tens of thousands beginning in 2015. FAROS aims to provide a safe place for the boys, reconnect them with their families, provide education, teach English and Greek, and supply a structure in which they can begin to recover from trauma.
Next we heard from Tim. Born and educated in England, but with family connections to the Greek-speaking community, Tim and his family moved to Greece to help church-planing efforts. In Exarchia, the anarchist community within Athens, Tim and Alex, his church-planting partner, joined the life of the community, built relationships and eventually planted a church.
The church was received with skepticism, but they also found many points of connection with their community, and the refugee crisis offered an opportunity for them to serve alongside Exarchia residents. Now they have about 45 people attending the Exarchia church each week.
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