Mia Holidays 2024

Hello family and friends!

This January, I will be headed back to Ioannina, Greece, where I will be volunteering once more for the lovely organization of Second Tree! For those of you who were around last year, you may remember that I volunteered there for three months around this time last year, and absolutely loved it! They are an incredible organization doing loads of great work and I am beyond excited to be joining their team once again! 

As a bit of a refresher, Second Tree is a grassroots non-profit organization serving the refugee communities in the Katsikas and Agia Eleni refugee camps in central Greece. Last year I volunteered as an English teacher there in their Scouts program–a youth program for kids in the camps which includes English classes, workshops, social-emotional education, and excursion opportunities. Many of these kids have been in and out of schooling for years, constantly on the move or stuck in refugee camps indefinitely. Because of this, many of these kids have never even set foot in a classroom before. Thus, what Second Tree provides is invaluable–a place where kids can escape the barbed wire fences and just be a kid again. A place where they can safely learn, explore, and even dream about their future. This is a crucial education in and of itself, as it will set them up for success as they integrate into life in Europe and continue their education. 

I can personally say from being there on the ground that this is really and truly an incredible organization doing thoughtful and intentional work in a world where so many humanitarian organizations end up doing more harm than good. From the classroom, I could clearly see the progress and growth of so many of the kiddos, learning to self-regulate their emotions and behavior, learning to interact with their peers in a mature and caring way, and gaining confidence! (And of course, improving their English!) But this organization does so much more than just this tangible work on the ground. 

At Second Tree, there are no labels. “Refugee” “Muslim” “Christian” “Afghan” “Somali” “Palestinian” “traumatized” “vulnerable” are all left at the door, and people are seen as people. Refugees, volunteers, and Greeks alike are held to the same high standards, with the ability to self-determine, engage in difficult conversation, and take responsibility. This was a refreshing and honestly quite convicting atmosphere for me to enter, as I found myself discovering all sorts of unconscious biases and “labels” I had held toward refugees that were cloaked in the guise of “compassion”. Viewing refugees as exceptionally vulnerable due to the trauma they had endured, or seeing them as superhuman and heroic for having survived such harrowing journeys, or feeling that unnatural hesitation in conversation because I was afraid of saying something that could be unintentionally offensive or triggering, were all stemming from an unconscious bias that refugees were different than me. But what I realized was that all of these biases and assumptions and labels were only getting in the way of genuine human connection. Holding refugees to a different standard and treating them differently in an attempt to account for their traumatic experiences was not helpful, but in fact, actually very harmful. Because no matter where someone is from, what language they speak, or what their asylum status is, what people want more than anything is to be treated like you and me, like an ordinary human.

Second Tree’s message is this—refugees are people. And as an organization, they are working hard to spread this message. Though this is just a glimpse into the work that they do and the type of impact they are making, I hope you can sense, as I do, what a special organization this is. 

It is because of this that I am helping them this Christmas season with their fundraising efforts. Not only has this organization deeply impacted my life and the lives of many of its volunteers, but they are truly making a difference in the lives of refugees. This year, their goal is €20,000, which is their biggest goal yet. But Second Tree is also dreaming bigger than they ever have. So if you would like to help them continue to provide these educational opportunities for refugee kids in Greece, and spread their message that “Refugees are People” across the humanitarian front, any donation amount will be helpful! Also, if you make a donation between now and Christmas, I will send you one of my hand-painted Christmas cards as a thank you 🙂 Just let me know once you have made a donation, either by text, email, or DM, and I will send one your way! 

Phone: 469-969-4443

Email: teacher.miahayes@gmail.com

IG: @miahayes98

Merry Christmas to all, and many thanks in advance for your support ❤️

Mia