I'm only posting this out of love:
"Economically battered Greece faces long road to recovery" by Derek Gatopoulos, Associated Press November 16, 2014
ATHENS — In a tiny, windowless storeroom, elderly women sort through items normally destined for the trash.
It’s an unlikely place to be saving lives.
The women volunteer at a charity clinic that recycles drugs sent by relatives of dead cancer patients, recovering stroke victims, or mothers who overstocked on baby formula.
The half-filled boxes of medicine are stacked to the ceiling, waiting to be mailed to growing numbers of unemployed Greeks who have been denied hospital treatment since the economic crisis started.
Greece’s recession — the economy shrank every year since 2008 — was declared over on Friday.
‘‘I promise that growth will continue at an even faster pace,’’ Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said. ‘‘No Greek will miss out . . . Hope is back, Greece is back.’’
That’s bold talk, as the recession has left Greek society looking battered: One in every five households has no working member, and a staggering 3 million of Greece’s 10.7 million people have lost state health insurance because the long-term unemployed and their dependents lose benefits.
Cardiologist George Vichas set up the Metropolitan Community Clinic three years ago to continue treating his patients who lost health insurance.
Now he oversees a network of 250 volunteers who recycle medicine, provide checkups using donated medical equipment, and set up appointments at hospitals and clinics offering charity slots.
‘‘I had never imagined we would be working on this scale,’’ Vichas said. ‘‘People who come to us have a sense of shame, anger, and deep sadness. . . . Our aim is to replace that with hope.’’
The consequences of the recession, including the austerity cuts imposed by successive Greek governments, have been felt far and wide, laying waste to many of the country’s public services and traditions.
‘‘The timeframe of the crisis does not overlap with the social consequences of the crisis,’’ said Alexander Kentikelenis, a sociologist at the University of Cambridge. ‘‘The economic recession may have lasted six years, but the social crisis may end up taking longer.’’
All so bankers can benefit.
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