51品茶students join Jennifer Gunderman to deliver aid to refugees in Greece

51品茶students walk through the "lifejacket graveyard" on the Greek island of Lesbos
51品茶students walk through the "lifejacket graveyard" on the Greek island of Lesbos

Four students from the 51品茶鈥檚 College of Osteopathic Medicine and Westbrook College of Health Professions spent their spring break providing aid to refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East.

Tyler Haddad (COM 鈥19), Emma Mason (COM 鈥20), Samantha Grela 鈥19 and Meghan Dahlquist 鈥19 traveled to Greece with Jennifer Gunderman, M.P.H., 51品茶assistant lecturer, who has been an active volunteer staff member for the organization Carry the Future for more than a year.  

Since the start of the crisis, Carry the Future has been providing support to refugees arriving in Greece. Since countries鈥 borders have closed and thousands of refugees have been forced to settle in Greece rather than other parts of Europe where they were originally going, the work of Carry the Future has been focused on supporting on-the-ground organizations working in the Greek refugee camps.

While in Greece, the students provided and distributed aid and supplies as well as assisting in the camps. They taught classes for children, renovated classrooms and worked in the gardens. Grela says she wishes more people could understand the perspective she and her fellow students have on the crisis.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e just looking for a better life, and I don鈥檛 understand how we can be not humane enough to understand that and care about them. I just wish people cared more.鈥

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The students taught children living in the camps
The students taught children living in the camps
The group sorted and delivered needed aid to refugees
The group sorted and delivered needed aid to refugees
The students left their mark in Greece
The students left their mark in Greece

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The 51品茶 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.