In 2016 Wellness Advocates Tanya Kern and Joan Coon received matching fundraising support from the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation® for initiatives by non-profit 109 World to help refugees in the Oinofyta Refugee Camp in Greece. Oinofyta is run by the grassroots organization ArmandoAid, and seeks to provide refugee families living in wait in Greece with access to housing, education, nutrition and supportive programs. Tanya and her team raised funds that enabled the building of two “geodesic domes” now used as a school house and housing.
The funds raised also went to the purchase of notebooks, pencils, crayons, educational toys, and stationary for the Oinofyta school as well as new water filters, water tanks and hygiene products for residents.
109 World Volunteers helped develop emergency curriculum for the school and used donated funds earmarked for the ability to reinforce the Camp's teaching staff when volunteers are not available.
A community garden built by 109 World Volunteers to keep fresh fruits and vegetables available year-round for the displaced families.
“We left Oinofyta, but our hearts and minds are with them, with the reflections that this refugee crisis is everybody’s problem and each one of us has a personal responsibility to help. Because this is about the rescue of us and our values as well as the rescue of refugees and their lives.”
Renovation of the Armando Aid school: repainting the school and classrooms.
"it is important we create a warm environment to ease the hardships even just a tiny bit."