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One Happy Family
Newsletter
March 2023
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Another month at the Victoria community center in Athens has passed and it's time for the next update. Unfortunately, we are still struggling with technical problems when sending the newsletter. This may also be the reason why you may not have received the last two editions or may have received them twice. We sincerely apologise for this once again. If you did not receive the last two editions by email, you can read them here on our website and we ask you to register for the newsletter there again. Thank you!
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We can’t believe it’s March already, it seems like yesterday we were bringing in the new year! A lot has happened within the first couple of months of 2023 at OHF. Here’s an insight into our impact in January and February.
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February was the month of love, and we’ve been getting in the Valentine’s Day spirit with some love-themed crafts in our Community Café.
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As we all know, Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day of the year that we should show love and care to those around us, but let’s take this opportunity to appreciate and recognise love in its many forms. Whether it’s making someone a coffee in the morning, being there for them when they need to talk, or even just smiling and greeting them when they enter the room, there are endless ways to show people around you love.
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When asked about love within our community center, our fundraiser Cath said "something I’ve found the most poignant about working at One Happy Family, is the overwhelming compassion and love that is present day to day within the center, particularly between the visitors. I think you expect the energy of a place filled with people who have experienced such specific hardships to be that of melancholy, and though everyone is human and experiences a range of emotions all the time, the overarching feel is that of love, generosity, and compassion and I think that’s incredible."
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Let’s take this opportunity to remind ourselves that everyone deserves love, no matter who they are or where they’re from.
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We’ve experienced a lot of change within the last year or so of One Happy Family, and with that, there has been a change to our whole team too, so we thought we’d give you an update on who is currently part of the OHF family (on the ground).
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The OHF team has been and always will be a collaborative, community effort, with each member playing an important role in decision-making and bringing ideas to the table. Much like with our visitors, everyone is valued and everyone’s skills are put to good use!
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As you may know by now, we also have a community volunteer programme, which means that we’re working together with the communities that we support, WITH the people, not FOR them.
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As always, a huge thank you to everyone, past and present, who has been part of the OHF family, together we can continue our mission of reducing prejudices towards displaced people.
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Team at the Victoria Community Center
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Boat crash in Italy and safe passage
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Of course, at this time our thoughts are with all the people affected by the boat accident in Italy, with the dead people who were on the run and their families. On Sunday 26 February, an overcrowded wooden boat with more than 140 refugees and migrants sank in the Mediterranean Sea in heavy seas. The number of victims of the boat accident in southern Italy has risen to 67. Last Wednesday morning, the body of a girl was found, among the victims are several children. The emergency services are still searching for victims. About 80 people survived the sinking. Meanwhile, Italy is debating whether and how the people could have been helped before the boat sank shortly before reaching the mainland. "No one wanted to save them", was the headline of the Roman daily "La Repubblica" on the 1st of March.
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Every day, European migration policies put human lives at risk. These are all deaths that could be prevented! We at OHF continue to advocate for safe passage for people on the move to Europe! And you can support us by carrying this message to the world with our "safe passage" socks (order here) or by supporting us with a donation. Thank you very much!
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We wish you all a good start into spring and the whole team of the OHF greets you warmly!
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Content: Catherine Mosley, Johanna Käser
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One Happy Family | www.ohf.gr | info@ohf-lesvos.org
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CH23 0079 0016 9736 1524 7 (CHF) | CH36 0079 0016 9737 1172 2 (EUR)
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CH-3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland
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