Student of the Week: Freeburg student helps Syrian refugees

All Georgie Nahass wants for Christmas is to help Syrian refugees.

He hopes other teens follow his lead, giving money that would be spent on gifts.

“The main thing I want them to know is you don’t have to donate all of your presents,” said Georgie, 18, of Freeburg. “The average American family spends $300 on Christmas. If 1 percent of teens donated $50 from Christmas, we could raise $29 million. If a lot of us come together and give a little, we can do a lot.”

A couple weeks ago, the Freeburg Community High School senior organized a social media campaign through World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization.

“I made a page (sacrificing for Syria) on their website. There’s a link to everything,” he said.

His mission statement: “This Christmas season, we are imploring the youth of America to recognize the fortune and blessings we have in America, and to make an effort to help out people who really need it. In order to do this, we will be opting to not receive Christmas gifts, but instead send the money that would be used to purchase presents to provide food and water for the refugees in Syria. Alone, the impact that can be made is minor, but if America’s people come together, we can make a huge difference for the thousands of displaced people.”

According to the World Vision website, 13.5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance.

“It all kind of started after my mom (Margie) asked what I wanted for Christmas,” said Georgie, who has thick red hair and likes everything about the game of chess. “I don’t really need anything. I have everything I need and then some. This was on a Sunday. I was driving to get presents for my brothers. What made me really want to do it, I walked by a massage place. I thought people are getting massages when potentially a family could be in Syria fighting for its life. It was after Thanksgiving and the Paris (terrorist attacks). Country pride was at a high. I wanted to make a difference. I called my mom to get the idea to her before I forgot it. She was a little apprehensive. She said, ‘You are already a pretty busy kid.’”

The busy kid got busier — with his parents’ blessing.

“He was so passionate and so driven to get it launched in time for Christmas,” said Margie Nahass, whose in-laws have a Syrian background. “It’s moving to see tradition and heritage felt so deeply.”

The project also worried her.

“By putting your name out there, let’s face it, in this world of mass media and technology, as a parent, you want to protect your kid. We weren’t going to stand in his way, but advised him to be cautious. We’re a Christian family. This is the right thing to do. This is something so near and dear to his heart.”

Georgie soon involved English teacher Michelle Etter, who gave him the name of a website designer.

“It was great to hear the joy pour out of him as he figured out how to complete the idea,” Michelle said. “I was astounded that a young man would think to do this, especially during the holiday season.”

But it’s typical of Georgie.

“He’s an outstanding young man who always thinks of others before himself,” she said. “He’s always helping other students, giving his time. I can’t think of an event he’s not at.”

“She told me that’s such a good idea,” Georgie said. “It gave me motivation.”

Q: Do you have a connection to Syria?

A: “My great-grandparents were born in Syria. I think they all emigrated, but there could still be distant relatives there.”

Q: How did your family end up in Freeburg?

A: “Dad (George) is a dermatologist. He met mom at SLU. That’s how he ended up here. Mom is from the Smithton-Freeburg area. Her family is Irish, which explains the hair.”

Q: How do you feel about having a Syrian background?

A: “I kind of like that my family is from Syria. It made me different. It’s kind of cool. In the last two or three years, I’ve been thinking of it more. I feel I want to help them. Dad’s grandparents were born in Syria (great-grandpa in Homs, great-grandma in Damascus). They settled in New Jersey (in 1912). They had a huge Syrian Orthodox Church population there. We still go there for Thanksgiving. We have a whole family cookbook of Syrian recipes. We listen to Syrian music in Arabic. The big thing is the food. My grandfather made a living as a (wholesale) fruit distributor. We have kibbe (a lamb dish of minced meat with bulgur and spices), and all the Syrian dishes. My grandpa speaks fluent Arabic. My uncle does as well. I am learning. I know 10 words. (Georgie keeps a list of Arabic phrases taped in his phone case.) When they don’t want us to know what they are talking about, they speak Arabic across the table.”

Q: Was the project easier or harder than you thought it would be?

A: “It was easier in some ways; harder in others. The hardest thing is the first step, getting started. To do the technology, create an account, that involved a lot of skills. I talked to people for four hours trying to buy the domain name. I’m not familiar with that kind of stuff with Go Daddy.com. I bought the ‘sacrificing for Syria’ name.” (It cost him $26.)

Q: What types of social media do you use?

A: “Twitter and Facebook. The social network is faster, and the best way to reach a lot of people.”

Q: What did your friends think of your plan?

A: “Most of my friends thought it was a good idea. We can do so much by sacrificing one gift which we do not actually need. Some people didn’t get it. ‘What are we actually paying for? Are we sending toys?’ The (refugees) need food and water and shelter. Most only have the clothes on their back. A lot ask me what I am getting for Christmas. I tell them about this. I’ve given talks in classes, presented the website and showed them around. I sent an email to the whole school. The administration let me do that.”

Q: How much have you raised so far?

A: “$1,250”

Q: Have you ever done anything like this before?

A: “I am an avid chess player. I was watching (NCAA basketball’s) March Madness. I thought it would be kind of fun to have a school-wide chess tournament. A hundred people signed up to play.”

Q: Did you win?

A: “I did win. I play a bunch of chess.”

Q: If you were getting something for Christmas, what would you want?

A: “I need a wallet tracker. I am kind of forgetful. I want something to beep at me if I leave it someplace.”

To make a donation: Go to sacrificingforsyria.com, then to the Donate Now page. The first sentence has the link to send a donation.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Student of the Week: Freeburg student helps Syrian refugees."