Greece Trip Information
June 6-13, 2020.
Update: Dec 18, 2019.... THIS TEAM IS COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR NON-MEDICAL PERSONS.
Our partner in Greece is Voice of Truth in Athens. We will be serving the refugees from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Athens. Join us as we provide medical and mental health care as well as "care packages" for those seeking a better life after being uprooted from their homelands. We will be staying in the heart of Athens providing consultations, medications, vision testing and reading glasses, counseling and hope. The trip is open to both medical and non-medical participants. Medical and dental students are encouraged. This destination is very popular - it will fill fast. There are only 20 spaces available. You may wish to combine this trip with Moldova (June 2-6 and or Ukraine (June 14-19).
Group Leaders
Dr. Stan Grogg and Barbara Grogg will be your group leaders. If you have
questions, please contact Barbara at [email protected].
Unlike most of the other trips, each team member will be responsible for bringing some of the items that we use to make "care bags" for men, women and children to be given to the refugees. As we can not obtain (or can obtain for a huge price) most of the 15-18 items in each bag in Greece - they must be toted from the US. Please plan accordingly if you plan to tour prior to the mission trip. You certainly can take "one way" bags - those that you just leave in Athens if you plan to tour after the mission. Items will be drop shipped to your home or location of choice in May. Last year we had 18 pieces of luggage filled with items for the care bags. What a joy it was for our hosts and us to be able to give these care bags to those in need.
Because team members may be already in Greece as well as there are many different flights that will be arriving on June 6, the group will just meet at our hotel which will be near our clinic site. You will just get a cab (you can take the metro but no one from our teams has done this). Several of us will be arriving from Moldova mid-afternoon on Saturday. On Saturday evening we will have a meet and greet dinner near our clinic location. Sunday will be a free day until 5pm when we will meet as a group to go over logistics, team member roles, information about the population we will be working with and medications/formulary we will be using.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will be having our medical clinic in the Voice of Truth building. We will meet at 8:30 and walk to the clinic building together. Clinic usually is over around 4 pm. We will have reflections on the day - which usually takes about an hour then you are free to explore and have dinner in one of the great restaurants around the town.
Friday will be a cultural day - plans have not been confirmed for this years event - but it will be a fun time.
You may take taxi or metro to the airport on Saturday morning... or continue your trip in Greece or other countries as desired.
If you have any other questions at this time, please feel free to contact [email protected] As soon as we have more specific information it will be posted on the website in this area that is seen only by team members having completed an application.
Our Greece mission trip is always exciting and we see many different conditions. Helpers.. you are really important to the work as well... you will be kept busy!
Goals
- Build lasting relationships with partners working with refugees
- Provide competent, appropriate medical care to an extremely underserved population of refugees
- Request and facilitate referrals provided within the local non-governmental agencies
Arrange follow up with our Greek partners for identified healthcare concerns- Supply much-needed medications and supplies for the community healthcare team remaining at the completion of our brigade
- Offer a safe learning environment for medical students and residents, other healthcare personnel, and ancillary team members
- Provide intensive training for students in the art of medicine, with technology limited by the local standards
- Facilitate opportunities to experience different cultures and global health issues
Checklist
- Complete the application here
- Submit your $206 deposit here
- Make certain your passport does not expire before 12/2020
- Make certain you have the recommended immunizations for Greece
- Upload the required documents here for your team role (with .pdf format)
- Final payment due - payable by check to Power of a Nickel by April 6,2020.
- You will receive a final invoice approximately 70 days prior to departure.
In this world of noise and turmoil, how far are you willing to walk to find peace? Refugees want to walk away from the chaos of their country at war and begin their journey…walking.
A refugee family leaving Iran, must pay a large sum of money to the smugglers to get to the borders of Iran and Turkey – and then pay another large sum of money to get to the borders of Turkey and Greece.You would think that for that kind of money they would be traveling first class, but instead many have lost their lives in the Aegean Sea in pursuit of peace.
Imagine that you take your husband or wife and your 2 or 3 children on this long journey….. you begin to walk. Not just walk on the cemented streets or highways or even dirt roads, but walk through the forest and mountainous terrain for a whole 4 days. Your shoes get torn by the rocks and thorns, your feet ripped with open sores. You begin to lighten your burden to make walking easier. The nights are cold and you have no place to hide or rest.
Perhaps you chose to take the other option – of taking a float that fits 15 people to cross the Aegean Sea between Turkey and the closest Greek island, 4.1 nautical miles…to find that the float is now carrying 50 people and you have to leave all your belongings behind. The next 4.1 miles, you are stripped from all hope that you will ever make it alive, fear grips your heart and wonder if there will be peace at the end of this journey, only to find out that their journey only began.
When the refugees arrive in Athens, whether they walked 4 days or survived the 4.1 nautical miles on the float, they arrive with the clothes on their back, no ID, hurt, very sick, emotionally and physically depleted.
Power of a Nickel partners with Voice of Hope to provide basic medical care, medications, reading glasses, listening to their stories and hope. Hope for a better tomorrow.
Costs
Total trip cost: $1400 pp double occupancy. Single occupancy is $1800.
This DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRFARE TO Athens.
Included are: In country travel, breakfast daily, 2 dinners, translator expenses, governmental document preparation, medications, and supplies for clinics, and a one day Greek Island cruise.
Requirements
Participants will be responsible for all travel and routine vaccinations. More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/travel and www.headinghomehealthy.org.
- Evacuation insurance is required.
- Trip cancellation insurance is suggested.
Payment Schedule.
A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF $206 is required to hold your space.
MAY 30, 2020: Final payment of $1200 ($1600 for single supplement) payable by check to Power of a Nickel 4520 S Birmingham Place Tulsa, OK 74105.
Cancellation Policy
$206 deposit is non-refundable. You may transfer this to another person if you find you are unable to participate but you will need to make any financial arrangements with that person.
- Final payment for the trip is due 60 days prior to trip start date.
- 59-30 days prior to departure, 50% refund.
- 29-0 days prior to departure, no refund.
Trip cancellation insurance (different from evacuation insurance) is strongly encouraged to avoid forfeiting funds if you must cancel for any reason.