Meet Milana.
You may recognize her as the spunky little brunette that stars in AT&T commercials—but there’s more to this quirky actress and comedian than meets the eye.
Milana recently went to Greece with the intention of vacationing with her dad, but she quickly realized just how ridiculous it is for her to be relaxing when the country around her was dealing with a financial crisis and an influx of Syrian refugees that they couldn’t support.
According to statistics released by the UN last year, over 250,000 Syrians have died and 12 million citizens have been displaced, and that number is rapidly rising.
More than 4 million have fled Syria, many of which have chosen to make the dangerous trek through Turkey and the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesbos. The refugees pay $1,500 to smugglers who transport them from Turkey to Lesbos in small rafts.
Those staggering statistics were just too heart-shattering for Milana to shake.
Instead of flying home, she decided she needed to go to Lesbos herself to see what she could do to help.
“I don’t really know what I’m going to do, but I can’t do nothing,” she said. “I don’t want to be a passive citizen anymore. I wanna be a force for good.”
Milana flew over with a friend she met a few days prior at a refugee volunteer meeting in Athens. As they drove up to the island, the initial picturesque view made Lesbos appear like some beautiful resort—but the lifejackets scattered on the desolate shore told a different story.
Watch Milana’s journey as she discovers the plight of the refugees in Lesbos and uncovers the amazing ways that we as individuals can use our time, money and voices to make a massive impact.
Share this video with your friends, and visit her new website CantDoNothing.org to learn what you can do to help.
“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead
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