Situation in the Pelopponese

Hey, all! It's naptime here in Filiatra, so I thought I would take the opportunity to give you a little update on our situation. The fires are still raging throughout Greece, but thankfully for the time being they aren't a threat to Filiatra or any of the other towns where the Alexandropouloses have close relatives. That's not to say that we haven't been affected, however. In a country this size, everyone is connected through friends and family, and the fires have taken quite a toll on the local farmers and their livelihoods. All day long the news channels broadcast video of people who have lost everything they have to the fires. Unlike the natural disasters that strike in the US (forest fires and earthquakes in California, hurricanes and floods in Louisiana, tornadoes in the midwest), most Greeks don't have any insurance or savings and can't rely on the government to help them recover. The government has pledged up to 13,000 euros to each family that lost loved ones or property to the fires, but that won't be nearly enough to bring back what has been lost. If you've been waiting for the right cause to make a charitable donation this year, or if you've been itching to write a letter to your local congressman but didn't know what to say, may I humbly suggest that you consider helping out with the relief effort in the Pelopponese. The local churches are already putting together food and clothing drives for those driven out of their homes, and Mr. and Mrs. Alexandropoulos have brought bags of clothes and food to be distributed. Pegs and I plan to make a monetary donation to a relief fund once we get back to France, and we'll let you know which one(s) when we do. In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has checked in on us and wished us well. We look forward to posting more regularly from back home!