Yes - my first formal attempt at a crisis fundraiser has brought warmth on many levels. With the purchase of 840 blankets, 151 winter hats, 100 pairs of gloves, and >250 winter scarves and making sure they make their way safely to the Austrian Slovenian border, warmth has been brought to some of the human souls awaiting westbound passage.  Buying the donations, loading a transporter and driving to the border was the easy part, but being treated like criminals by government officials for simply wanting to bring donations inside a refugee camp and distributing them was a whole different story. So, when we finally met a solo Slovenian volunteer who has managed to use personal relationships to get access to Sentilj, the camp at the Slovenian side of the border, and she happily took our donations and started to "sneak" them into the camp and distribute to those in most dire need, I realized a whole new meaning for warmth. I cannot thank this amazing lady enough for the warmth she brought to our hearts. Perhaps knowing that such beautiful people exist in the world has been a driver to keep us going strong, even while struggling for physical warmth sleeping in the back of our transporter after being told that we should leave Spielfeld, the Austrian side of the border, in the middle of the night as our help was basically "not needed". 

There were other moments, however, when this warmth turned into heat. For instance, while participating in the BBC radio show "World Have Your Say" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0372cp4), we met this young Syrian boy whose best friend had just drowned on the boat from Turkey to Greece a day earlier. A while later, we talked to a volunteer who was breaking down from having to hand refugees blankets covered with blood and sh*t because they had not been washed for months and new donations were not allowed into camps. I hope that we at least helped to alleviate the latter with our donations and finding someone to sneak them in, but with the former - no words or actions can suffice. 

The 3-day journey to Spielfeld and Sentilj was nothing short of an intense emotional roller coaster. However, coming back to Germany on Friday, November 13th, to hear news of the Paris attacks and the immediate security escalations in refugee camps and borders and increased complications in providing aid for refugees, has ignited nothing but more fire to keep going. Therefore, the decision has been made to head to Greece in early/mid December for an extended stay and provide front-line support at the mouth of the crisis. This will take place after another mission to Croatia scheduled for next week. 

Thank you all for making "Warmth for Refugees" a successful fundraiser. Now it is time for a larger-scale fundraising operation to enable our work in Greece to be successful. As of this moment, the "Warmth for Refugees" campaign has been terminated, and the "Hands for Refugees" campaign is launched. 

To view the "Warmth for Refugees" campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/rs73q9vm
To view the "Hands for Refugees" campaign: https://www.crowdrise.com/handsforrefugees/fundraiser/hands-for-refugees​

Your continued support, solidarity, and love is much appreciated.. 

After days of endless rain, frigid temperatures, muddy campgrounds, and thousands of exhausted humans waiting for long hours to leave camp, a sunny day arrives where people pass through the camp within minutes moving on to Slovenia.. Maybe it's time to worry about who wins the soccer game instead of how to get a warm blanket 

Thank you Dr. Humam for making me laugh when you told me how everyone on your boat was praying, and you instead were cursing almost loud enough for others on the boat to want to throw you in the water, and thank you and Fouad for helping me organize and distribute clothes to the hundreds of freezing cold people in the camp after they had had nothing to keep them warm all night.

Thank you Imm Jarrah, for staying alive after being between life and death in the emergency unit from anaphylactic shock – please don't ever take Paracetamol again or scare anyone else the way you scared me.

Thank you sweet Christian sister for finally replacing your tears with smiles when I managed to snuggle in some wine for you, then finding and hugging me so tightly when you left for the border.

Thank you Hussain for being so sweet and grateful – I am happy you think the few hours you spent with me talking and walking have been the most amazing throughout your journey.

Thank you dear brother for inspiring me with your tears of pain and strength after having lost two children to the war in Syria - May your health improves and your beautiful wife and remaining children always stay by your side.

Thank you Nisreen for looking so pretty with your long hair and my red lipstick, and your fresh and fun attitude.

Thank you Imad for spending so many hours with me and helping distribute blankets around the muddy campgrounds – I wish I had been able to find and say good bye to you before you left. Please keep on recording and writing. I'll be reading your future novel. You will be amazing. Oh, and I will not forget your charming smile.

Thank you Mustafa for the antibiotics – my chest and throat are really grateful.

Thank you sweet khalto for making my day as you were finally in line to get on the bus out of Croatia, by repeatedly saying that you feel like you want to stay in the campground just to be around me.

Thank you Loqman, Mr. Flirty hairdresser, for offering to give me a haircut – it would have been fantastic, especially as my hair was already soaking wet from the rain, except that you had to leave so fast and last minute by the time I went to find a pair of scissors.

​Thank you Yousef for finding a sister in me. Your kindness, your sweetness, and your gentle manners will be forever remembered. I am glad we finally found your "real" sister after hours of searching the crowds. Maybe some day we will go to some music festival together! You are a beautiful soul and you will be a diamond in the Dutch sky. 

And finally, thank you baby Abood (pictured), for finally stopping the tearfall after endless hours of asthma with no medication on your way to Croatia 

Me - "I want to take a picture with you.. You look like the sister I've never had"
Aya (gorgeous teenage Syrian refugee in Opatovac camp in Croatia) - "OK but wait I need to fix my hair and remove this blanket.. I can't look like this in a picture"
Me - "Oh come on.. I can also put a blanket with you and make my hair messy"
Aya - "No no.. Wait a second"
Me (sarcastically) - "Fine.. Shall I also get you some red lipstick and makeup?"
Aya (with so much sass and a wide smile) - "Aa no girl, I know I'm beautiful without any makeup on"

And then she poses with me like a model, with so much light and hope and love in her eyes. Nevermind that this girl had escaped alone with her 2 little brothers across the sea leaving her family behind in their destroyed city. 

Life is good.

P.S. This picture is one that I do not plan to share publicly per Aya's wish to remain anonymous. ​