The refugees arriving in rickety boats in the Mediterranean are half a world away.
But not for Stratis Valamios and Father Christoforos Schuff, who goes by Padre X. They jumped into the middle of the flood of refugees.
Valamios, who fishes for a living on the Greek island of Lesvos, didn't see a choice. He could either help or watch people drown. For his efforts, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Padre X runs an organization that helps refugees. They bring their experiences to Arcata for talks and activism training this week. And they visit The Exchange with many stories to tell.