Editor,
Recent articles by Becky Gillette on locals helping Syrian refugees in Greece, and another on a diplomat working with U.S. AID with people struggling to survive war and natural disasters, are indeed a welcome change. With all the hateful anti-refugee rhetoric at a national level, we appreciate such coverage.
The news from Syria breaks our hearts every day. So we are grateful for some other locals, Hamsa and Moshe Newmark (along with a volunteer board), who run Bridge of Peace Syria (BOPS), a Fayetteville based U.S. non-profit humanitarian aid group. Nearly 100% of donations go directly to their work (distributed through their local contacts on the ground). You can’t beat this for stretching every penny.
Only 0.08% of our federal budget goes to foreign assistance, so groups like this are crucial. Postings on their Facebook page (Bridgeofpeacesyria) are heartwarming – e.g. a new well-constructed last year means clean water for 1,500 refugees. More recently 14 homes and a school were built for refugee families.
You can send a check to BOPS at PO Box 3133, Fayetteville, AR 72702-3133 or check them out on the web! Your heart will be happier!