Week 3 in Chios, Greece

This post marks the halfway point of my Leadership-in-Action experience! It is so unbelievable to think about how fast time has flown by. I am feeling very grateful for the community I have joined here at Offene Arme and the connections I have made on the island of Chios. As volunteering at Offene Arme operates on a rolling basis, volunteers are always coming and going. So at the end of this week, one of our coordinators finished a 6 month stay and we said goodbye to her with a small going away celebration which was bittersweet. Although I have only been here for a few weeks, it was sad to say goodbye to someone I had just become friends with! On the work side of things, the number of appointments at our Free Shop has been steadily growing, with the predominant number consisting of "Summer Distribution" appointments, where refugees staying on the island for longer periods of time can come back to our shop and get summer clothes, hygiene products, and supplies. We also have had many new arrivals onto the island. This week, I spent a lot of the week in the warehouse also preparing donations for local charities including Mothers of Chios and Polytechni, which are two organizations that we are giving clothes and items to. Additionally, we continued to reorganize and store our winter clothes so that our customers have the best selection of summer apparel as the weather gets hotter and the sun gets stronger. Outside of work, our team of volunteers has been spending a lot of time together which has been very fun and a great way to grow our collaborative and teamwork skills. At a recent dinner, our boss even taught us all Sirtaki, a traditional Greek dance! Over the weekend, I also was able to learn more about the local history of Chios and the beautiful mastiha trees which decorate the region and provide massive economic and social capital through and mastic production across the island. We went to the Chios Mastic Museum and visited some old villages, including Pyrgi, Olympi, and Mesta, and were able to see the amazing architecture and beaches in the area. In short, it was a wonderful week and I am so grateful for the connections I have made and places I have been able to see!