Hickory – Join Hickory High School teacher Lisa Camichos on Thursday, February 1st at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library at 6:30 pm to learn about the Orlando Plan. In 1946, two years before the Marshall Plan would begin the work of rebuilding Europe, civic organizations across the United States were encouraged to send help to a devastated Europe. Leaders in the city of Orlando, FL approached John Camichos, a prominent business person and immigrant from Greece, for suggestions. 
Camichos had an answer. In April 1946, he had received a letter from his brothers George and Stavros, who were still living in Volos, Greece. John’s brothers described a starving land without the means to obtain food. Italian and German soldiers had burnt crops, killed livestock and destroyed all of the fishing boats and the harbor. After reading this letter, John Camichos realized that without help, the people of Volos would die of starvation while waiting for the crops due in June and July so he suggested that the city of Orlando adopt Volos, Greece.
The events that followed became known as the Orlando Plan. In a 3 month period the citizens of Orlando, Florida rallied to save over 60,000 people from starvation. This once lost piece of history was uncovered in 1993 upon the death of John Camichos. He had saved dozens of letters and newspaper articles describing the events which his granddaughter, Lisa Camichos, discovered and researched.
The Orlando Plan presentation is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information, please call 304-0500 ext. 7235. Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is located at 375 3rd Street NE on the SALT Block.
Image: Children of the Orlando Plan
