Sometimes terrible events occur that demand loving responses. The refugee crisis is one example of this. Worldwide, the refugee crisis continues to grow as people fleeing civil war and violence leave their homes to find safer places to live. Europe especially has been given the opportunity to put love into action since being confronted with the refugee crisis in recent years. In 2015, for example, the Netherlands welcomed nearly 60,000 refugees into their country. Each and every one of these men, women, and children were hoping to find safe places to live.

In order to meet the extremely high demand placed on their country, officials from the Netherlands were forced to open an old abandoned prison to temporarily house these people. This temporary solution was far from ideal, so the nation decided to make a change. In January 2016, they launched a design competition called “A Home Away From Home.” This competition challenged those who entered to design temporary housing for the refugees and disaster victims that had fled to the Netherlands.Instead of looking at the homes as simply a bed in which to sleep, the winning designs revolutionized the scope of public housing by including amenities and other innovations, such as solar power, water purification systems, and use of minimal-waste material. These designers and the nation of The Netherlands showcased their love to the world through this competition. The innovative designers understood the importance of having a loving, safe, comfortable space to call home and they welcomed the challenge of creating this on a massive scale… because Love Transcends!

Read the full story of Netherlands’ loving acts in dealing with the refugee crisis.