ROCKLAND — The Rockland Public Library presents Marie Ilvonen, Thursday, March 13, at 2 p.m. This event is free and open to all.

Marie Ilvonen will discuss how people from Syria, Afghanistan, the Congo and many other countries have made the treacherous crossing from Turkey to Lesvos, fleeing war and persecution to find safety for themselves and their families.

Ilvonen lives in Maine on land that has been in her family for four generations. For the past thirty plus years, she has worked as a clinical social worker, running statewide programs and providing therapy in a variety of settings, such as community mental health, physician’s offices, and in private practice.

In 2015, she was shocked by the images of the vast numbers of families landing on the shores of Lesvos. Having worked for decades with trauma victims, she recognized the trauma on the faces of the volunteers and the folks they were pulling from the boats, mostly families from Syria.

In 2016, she decided to make her first trip to Lesvos to help in person as an independent volunteer. Since then, she has worked for several different organizations, going twice a year (with a pause in 2020) and will be leaving for her 17th trip at the end of March. The work continues to be compelling.

This event will take place in the Community Room and will be livestreamed via Zoom; the Rockland Public Library is located at 80 Union St.

For more information or for Zoom links, please email elewis@rocklandmaine.gov by 12:30 PM on March 13.