Being in Europe I feel so close to the refugee crisis and I've felt very called to help in any way that I can. I've been keeping up with the stories on Humans of New York and have been Brandon would post a link where we can give. During this heartbreaking time I've been researching different charities that perhaps aren't as well known and I found three that I've really connected with...

Refugees Welcome, it's like Airbnb but for refugees. They have matched 220 refugees to shared flats in Germany and 111 in Austria. If you don't live in these countries or have a house to share but you still want to contribute, you can donate here.
The Worldwide Tribe, an organization dedicated to telling the stories and helping those in the refugee camp in Calais, France. They take a van full of supplies and resources over on a regular basis. You can donate here. You can also reach out to the creator Jaz if you want to learn more at jaz@theworldwidetribe.com.
Karam Foundation, they are making a difference in the lives of Syrian refugees by providing what they call Smart Aid which basically is whatever helps to aid in their current needs. It could be supplies, development, education, the list is endless. They have many ways you can help... you can sell things on Ebay (they explain it all here), sponsor a Syrian child, donate, and more.

And of course, you can contribute by donating to the UNHCR. Brandon posted about a Kickstarter campaign (It’s the very first charity campaign that Kickstarter has ever done.) that goes directly to support the UNHCR and their efforts to aid the refugees. He is encouraging anyone wishing to make a difference in the refugee crisis to donate here.

“Money donated to the UNHCR goes directly to providing food, water, and shelter to desperate people. The UNHCR is on the ground all over the world, often in dangerous and difficult places, providing essentials to people who have no government or state to protect them. This is why the UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes. Currently the resources of the UNHCR are stretched to the limit, and sometimes the organization is only able to make a tissue thin difference. But often it is the difference between life and death.”

— Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York

Also, documentary photographer Ciril Jazbec is sharing stories of the refugee crisis. The images are haunting but they are necessary to move and inspire people to do something, to help in any way they can. You can follow his stories on Instagram here.

If you know of any charities or ways to help please don't hesitate to e-mail me: hello@travelandbloom.com. Even if you just want to brainstorm ideas on ways we can help I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you so much for reading.

xx -

Jessy

What keeps me up at night