In fall of 2015, the ongoing crisis of refugees drowning and/or arriving desperate to the shores of Lesvos, Greece became a call to action for the Lifeguard Hellas team to head to the island. They set up relief stations and lifeguard services to attempt to decrease the drowning rates for desperate refugees. Their efforts have now directly affected tens of thousands of refugees that have arrived on shore.
ISLA has worked closely with Lifeguard Hellas for several years, and shortly after Lifeguard Hellas’ arrival to Lesvos, ISLA begin to organize volunteer teams to assist in the lifeguard operations needed for the areas. Since the beginning of January, ISLA has had 3 teams of ISLA guards represented by 7 countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, and the USA) on scene assisting with the arrival of over a 1,000 refugees. ISLA has worked alongside the Lifeguard Hellas in providing rescue equipment, rescue aid, medical assessment aid, and transport to the arriving refugees.
Lifeguard Hellas and ISLA are set up on shifts that allow for 24 hour, 7 days a week operations. The situation is becoming increasingly challenging with Lifeguard Hellas, and ISLA being one of the few organizations sanctioned by the Greek Coast Guard to respond in the water to arriving refugees. The winter weather has also been brutal for the area which has increased drownings due to high seas, and increased cases of hypothermia and related issues for arriving refugees. There is also reports that the situation will continue to worsen as the political climate in the Syrian region and surrounding areas continues to worsen as well.
Lifeguard Hellas is dedicated to providing lifeguards on site as long as the crisis ensues, and is currently making plans to have teams present through October of 2016. Those efforts can be supported by donating directly to the Lifeguard Hellas donation site that is run by the Lifeguard Hellas directors. Direct donations to ISLA can also be made to assist with off-setting and subsidizing the costs that our volunteers pay for travel, logistics, lodging, etc. You can make that donation by clicking the donate button on the top right of this page. We will also continue to organize volunteers to assist the Greek Lifeguards for as long as we can. In the coming days, ISLA will launch its second application process to provide additional resources to the area and ensure proper staffing exists for the remaining winter and coming spring.
We are thankful for the support of everyone, as well as the countless contributions around the world that have gone to supporting our ISLA volunteers as they have traveled to the region and have worked alongside the Lifeguard Hellas. We ask our fans and supporters to continue to share this project to ensure we continue to get needed volunteers to make a positive impact in the area.
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