END-OF-YEAR REFLECTIONS: KEEP YOUR LIGHT SHINING BRIGHT
Alana Chloe Esposito
Director @ Lighthouse Relief | Partnerships, Advocacy, Governance | Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees, Human Rights | M.A International Affairs, Sciences Po Paris and B.S. Foreign Service, Georgetown University
My alma mater, Lincoln School, recently invited me to speak to students about refugees in Greece. As current students showed me around, I was impressed by many innovative changes over the two decades since I graduated but equally struck by the endurance of certain traditions.
One of these is a community celebration called “Lumina” on the last day before the winter break. Its signature song, “One Little Candle,” affirms our shared humanity and offers hope during the darkest days of the year. Despite not having heard it in ages, every word came back when I was on campus, and it continues to play in my head as I reflect on how it relates to the mission of Lighthouse Relief . The song goes like this:
Lighthouse Relief is that one little candle for thousands of people who find themselves in Greece after escaping war and persecution. ?Every day, we strive to embody the light cast by our namesake lighthouse on Lesvos’ northern shore by illuminating pathways to safety for people at risk.
Beyond the material support, it’s each little smile and word of kindness that helps dispel the darkness and loneliness that so many refugees experience.
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“Keep your light shining bright like a torch of hope held high,” goes the song. This is precisely what you do with every gesture of support you extend to Lighthouse Relief and everyone who counts on us. Throughout this particularly grim year, every time you shared a positive story, spoke out against injustice, volunteered, attended an event, donated, or sent us a message of encouragement, you kept the flame of love alive, and we are sincerely grateful for it.
As 2023 draws to a close in a cloud of global conflict and insecurity, I find solace in the conviction that together, we will continue to light a beacon for a better world. I hope you do too.
On behalf of the entire Lighthouse Relief team, I wish you and your loved ones peace and joy throughout the holiday season and the coming new year.
With Gratitude,
Alana Chloe Esposito
Co-Director, Lighthouse Relief