Last weekend, the first of 800 migrants moved from tents at a military camp into an abandoned clothing factory that has been repurposed as a dormitory, medical centre and school. Sixty per cent of the residents are children.

Sounds easy, but even Giustra admits it’s been a challenge. Greece is operating under creditor-enforced austerity measures that at times have threatened its political stability.

Giustra, the son of immigrants who has known poverty and discrimination and saw firsthand the hardships of starting over in a new country with a different language, is in Greece right now. It’s his second trip in a month.

But the Greek project couldn’t have happened without his friend Amed Khan, a former Clinton aide and investment banker, and Mike Zuckerman, co-founder of freespace , which converts unused space in San Francisco into places for artists and community groups.It’s Khan who has spent nearly a year working with the Greek government, the Orthodox Church, local charities and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to put together the project.

Source: Vancouver Sun