It started when a small group of women from North Vancouver got together for coffee.  Laurie Cooper, Valerie Linton, Ellen Fulton, Erian Baxter, Angela Harris, Nicole Ninow, Chris Vetterli and Kristin Fox had all seen the devastating image of the little Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, lying lifeless on the beach. They wanted to do something to help. They talked about fundraising and collecting donations, but there was a sense they could do more.

Laurie Cooper went home to do some research and discovered that there was a desperate need for volunteers to help the refugees arriving on the island of Levos, Greece. She decided she had to go and help. She booked her trip, launched a Facebook page, opened a Twitter account and started a website.  The team sprang into action to create awareness, rally support, and raise funds.

 

In the end, four women ended up travelling to Greece in November 2015. Laurie was joined by Ellen Fulton, Erian Baxter and Erian's daughter, Hannah Dubois. 

 

Over the course of two weeks, the group greeted refugees on the beachers, provided dry clothing to arriving refugees, made hundreds and hundreds of sandwiches, sorted and sized donations, built warehouse shelving, and brought what comfort they could to cold, frightened, exhausted refugees.

 

This was just the first step on what has become the journey of a lifetime. More caring Canadians have joined the "team", travelling to Greece and Turkey to assist refugees or working here at home to help new citizens settle in or assist people seeking asylum in Canada.