Dear friend,

Back in October, which now seems a lifetime ago, you very kindly supported me as I ran a marathon in Venice. I am delighted to tell you that this morning, the shower trolley which we fundraised for, arrived in the home of our friends in Beirut.

This shower trolley is going to have a big impact on the lives of friends living in a care home in Beirut. For those who are unable to stand in conventional showers, the trolley will allow them to be washed with dignity and in a way which is less painful and far more enjoyable. In particular, one young man, who is just older than me and has scoliosis, will benefit from this as his washing routine will be much simpler. Whilst it’s called a shower trolley, it’s more of a portable bathtub and who doesn’t enjoy a good soak.

As you have probably heard, Lebanon is going through an extremely serious political and economic crisis, compounded by the coronavirus. It is widely expected that three-quarters of the population will be recipients of food aid this winter and in this context our friends in the homes will most likely be hit hard. The crisis is also why it took so long for the trolley to be delivered but the good news is that it has made the way we are able to channel donations to our friends even more robust.

Most importantly, It’s vital that essentials beyond food such as schooling, care and distractions do not suffer from a lack of funds. As a consequence, I’m trying to recruit a team to run the Munich 30-kilometre race on October 11. The idea will be to raise some money to continue with the funding of physical education classes in a couple of homes in Beirut. These have already started and have been a great success so far. Do get in touch with me if you would like to take part!

In any case, thank you so much for your support. It helps the daily work of the sisters and carers who make everything happen. They are the real heroes that run the homes and provide care and attention for our friends. In addition, Abouna Romanos and Adelheid Soden are the real MVPs in continuing to find creative ways to support the homes. Your support also means a lot to me personally. I know that a lot of close friends will read this and I’m incredibly grateful that you keep supporting the various fundraising ideas that I have. As you might have seen the fifth edition of Lebanon on Wheels is currently underway with one team of Belgians due to arrive in Brussels next week and another of Germans set to set out to Bucharest simultaneously. 

Thank you once again for all your help and do drop me a line if you want to get running, either in Munich or simultaneously in your home city, or just to say hi.

I hope you are doing well at this difficult time and wish you a great rest of the week.

Auguste