‘As a mother who lives a comfortable life, I can’t sit by and watch the suffering of millions without doing something.’
So writes Samara Levy on her website ‘Samara’s Aid Appeal’
( http://www.samarasaidappeal.org )
As we watched the appaling tragedy of the Refugee Crisis in and around Syria which has spread beyond the Middle East and into Europe, touching every shore of that continent including Ireland, many of us have felt helpless in the face of so much pain. And the Provost of Tuam, Very Revd. Stan Evans, decided that ‘watching’ was not enough. So Stan, with the support of Bishop Rooke initially and then the people and clergy of TKA, decided that we, even in our small diocesan family in The West, must do something. Anything. However much it might seem like only a drop in the bucket.
So a partnership was struck. A partnership between TKA and Samara Levy and her Aid Appeal.
The practical working out of this partnership is that every parish congregation in TKA will collect warm clothing, blankets, shoes etc, gather them together in a central depot and send out a consignment in an artic container to areas badly effected by this crisis.
As a way of focusing our minds and putting a face to our partner, Samara travelled from London to TKA Diocesan Synod and spoke to us about her work.
‘ Much of our aid goes to the people in need of humanitarian relief that other aid agencies have missed,
or people who are scattered across areas where they cannot access help themselves. The aid we send is taken to people who are in need, and my partners serve everyone in need regardless of their faith, political views, gender, ethnicity or other defining categories. Our aim is to demonstrate the unconditional love of God to people who are in desperate need, and everything we send is given freely to those in need with no expectations and no strings attached.’
Samara’s presentation greatly moved those who listened to her story. The depth of her compassionate response to the Crisis was plain to be seen and animated every word she spoke.
It is the intention of TKA to have a consignment ready to go by the first week in November.