Theresa Lunniss is crowdfunding
Iʼm raising £15,000 to help Fr John Luke support the Syrian refugees on the island of Rhodes who are now homeless since the destruction of the refugee camp
- LONDON
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Update from Fr Luke this week
'These poor refugees arrived yesterday morning from Syria via Turkey in a rubber dinghy. They came straight to the church as they had been at the police station and they told them they would have to wait in the street until there were two hundred and they would ship them altogether to the refugee camps on the islands of Kos and Leros. I called the Coast guards and said the children could not sleep in the street, so they collected them and have put them in a hotel for the time being. Meanwhile we fed them and gave them water. I am always surprised at the resilience of the children. After having given them some food and chocolates their smiles and good humour was restored despite the frightening voyage over the Aegean sea. God help them. I hope that the franciscan hospitality will smooth is some part this journey in their little lives.'
I am continuing to raise money for Fr John Luke, who is leading the work on the Islands of Rhodes and Kos to support young children and their families who fled, by boat, to escape the crisis in Syria and more recently, the wider Middle East.
Fr John Luke, was formerly, Steven and he and I trained, as nurses, together at The London Hospital - Steven, Fr John Luke is now the Vicar General on Rhodes.
This last year the situation has got worse for the refugees. They were living in a temporary camp, supported by charity. Without warning, one morning, the police and bulldozers arrived and the refugees we removed to Athens. They were forced to leave behind their few belongings and children's toys. After 'processing' they were dumped onto the streets, with no support. Many have found their way back to Fr John Luke and he has, with your support, been able to find temporary accomodation for them, provide them with a weekly food parcel and pays prescription and medical fees for many of the refugees who have long-term conditions, ailments and the day to day needs of the children and their mothers.
With your help Fr John Luke can continue supporting these fragile families, to rebuild their lives.
As always, thank you for helping me to support my nursing colleague in his tireless work with the refugee families on the Island of Rhodes.
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Updates
5
- 1 year ago
Theresa Lunniss
1 year agoMessage from Fr Luke 'The children do not deserve this kind of treatment, living in the street in the centre of town. No sanitation, no dignity at all. It is incredible that we are witnessing this in Europe. Where is UNICEF? Such conditions breed hatred. Now the frontier at Rafa between Gaza and Egypt more and more will arrive. What a disastrous humanitarian crisis at the worse time of all as winter sets in and they sleep under the cold and the rain. God help them and God help us! Your recent donations bought tents & warmer childrens clothes
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- 1 year ago
Theresa Lunniss
1 year agoFr Luke has asked me to update on how your kind and most generous donations are being used to support the refugees in Rhodes. Unfortunately the situation has worsened (due to instability in the Middle East and the current conflict), with many refugee families (with young children) now living in a park in the centre of Rhodes City. As you can see from the photographs even children sleep in these conditions of extreme poverty. Fr Luke is providing these refugees with food parcels and is ensuring any medical issues are treated. Thank you
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- 2 years ago
Theresa Lunniss
2 years agoFr Luke was in London for a couple of days and we got to catch up. Listen to him talking about the last couple of years and the daily, growing challenges for refugees from Gaza and Syria. Your support has made such a huge difference - thank you.
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Theresa Lunniss started crowdfunding
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Supporters
124
Gina Sargeant
Nov 1, 2024
I remember you guys talking about this incredibly humbling work in Rhodes and it’s about time I made a donation xx
£50.00
Linda
Oct 18, 2024
Thank you for your work 🙏
£30.00
Aliactorest
Oct 15, 2024
Good cause and Roy’s lovely art as a bonus
Alex Hayes
Sep 17, 2024
Another fantastic piece of art work from RL and always happy to support this wonderful cause.
£25.00
Alex Hayes
Sep 7, 2024
Looking forward to receiving another sketch from RL. All for a good cause. Ax
£30.00
john stevens
Aug 14, 2024
Please keep up the good work!
£50.00
Natalia Orzechowska
Jul 31, 2024
Donating as recommended by Roy Lilley
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What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.
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