Week 4 in Chios, Greece
Wrapping up Week 4 with Offene Arme has been very bittersweet! We recently said goodbye to a couple of volunteers from Germany who were great colleagues and became dear friends. We also hosted a toy distribution for the kids at the Vial refugee camp and a special clothes distribution for the unaccompanied minors (UAMs) population. These were both emotional, but very meaningful, experiences, and I hope we were able to brighten their days with some new toys and clothes. The distributions were also greater opportunities to build our teamwork and collaborations skills as we had to make many difficult decisions on the fly and also ensure equity for the customers. Additionally, I spent most of my week in our free shop learning how to do the registration and welcoming tasks, which involved a lot of computer work, as well as communication skills between the team of volunteers and the refugees. I really enjoyed my time in the free shop this week, especially when we got busy and had over 20 appointments in two hours! We were efficient, productive, and confident. It is also always nice to help the customers find clothes that they can feel comfortable in and appropriate for the hot weather, as well as feel stylish in. Now that I have learned some more of the organizational tasks, I am excited to expand my leadership skills in the free shop and to assist some of the other volunteers with our work and help make the shop run smoothly. I also had some limited time in our warehouse, working on reorganizing boxes and handling donations from the local community and beyond. I hope we are able to have more toy distributions for the kids in the future and that we are able to make a difference in their lives, however long they are staying in Chios.
I am a senior at Brown University who aspires to learn and grow as a student and person. Through completing an Urban Studies and International & Public Affairs double concentration, I aim to pursue a fulfilling career that works with people and has a positive effect on the global community. Throughout my time at Brown, I have worked with a variety of community organizations, conducted extensive research projects in the humanities and social sciences, and served as a leader in student spaces that mean a lot to me. These experiences have strengthened my communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills, while also allowing me to apply my academic learning to real world scenarios and communities. My interests extend across cities and development broadly, and include human rights, transportation, and cross-cultural relations. I am also passionate about migration, affordable housing, and environmental science. I am an intentional leader who values connecting with and learning from others.
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