If you are reaching out to aid groups, you might ask if there is someone local on the ground that you can get in touch with…. Help Refugees has been part of the response to the crisis in Greece since October 2015. Volunteer & Internship Opportunities. We could not do the work we do without the support of people like you. Top 10 Volunteer … Faros NGO in Athens, Greece, serving unaccompanied refugee minors and youth Welcome | Faros – Lighting their way 00. home about 01. projects 02. services 03. It’s human nature to want to fix people and make everything better. -tai, hello I am living in a squat in Athens I help fixing electricity and toilets also can help in other squash if need at Athens area. Top 10 Volunteer Opportunities in Chicago in 2019. Our team of outstanding volunteers allows us to keep providing our essential services where they are needed the most. I first found out about the volunteer project through Indigo Volunteers. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links I will receive a small commission. As a volunteer, you will have opportunities to immerse yourself in all aspects of refugee … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Visit http://www.greecevol.info/for current volunteering opportunities. ... We are currently not recruiting volunteers for our operations in Athens. They encouraged us to go to Greece.In May, 2017, Dave and I traveled to Athens and spent the month volunteering in the 5 th School Squat, which houses close to 200 refugees … Any NGO with nothing to hide will be transparent with you. You may have heard of orphan tourism, where tourists can go into orphanages in Asia to simply hold babies, which can do more harm than good. It is very hard to volunteer with children unless you get hooked up with an organization ahead of time. Volunteers are vital to our operations. Volunteering is important work. If you hit any road blocks or red flags along the way, make sure you listen to your gut. Are you doing projects that you can complete or add to? Your email address will not be published. It can also be personally gratifying. Submit an essay (at least 100 words) "Why I Want to be A Teen Volunteer" 4. Your site is a fantastic resource. Coalitions of solidarity groups and migrants have established squats throughout Athens (mostly in Exarcheia) to house refugees… In Greece, they work across the country, providing medical, nutritional and administrative aid, and ensuring that refugees … You’ll be volunteering in refugee camps near Chalkida, a town just north of Athens, and this program places an emphasis on bringing a sense of purpose and renewed dignity to the hundreds of displaced people within temporary camps. Make tea- tea is a big part of Middle Eastern culture. Donate today to support incredible local organisations in Greece. I would highly recommend contacting nonprofits like UNICEF and others listed in the article. I’ve never worked as a medical volunteer before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Close to 200 college students volunteer at Piedmont Athens … All money raised is spent for immediate needs of refugees. To donate now to help refugees in Greece, “Gifts from the Choose Love store provided thousands of meals for people living in camps throughout the cold winter months. I was compelled to volunteer for them because I wanted to try and help where I could with the refugee crisis. ... Parthenon, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Ancient Agora of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus and many more famous historical sites and museums during your free time. I first found out about the volunteer project through Indigo Volunteers. Student Volunteers. Weekly reports from UK legal volunteers … Required fields are marked *. They must maintain a high standard of behavior and be sincerely interested in helping others. 1. To request an application packet, call Volunteer Services at 706-475-3405. HIAS is a leading legal service provider on the island of Lesvos and opened an office in Athens to follow up on cases, pursue strategic litigation, and engage in advocacy on behalf of refugees. When you are helping people with basic needs, it’s not about you. A lot do ask for at least a week of your time. Think a LOT before you decide to volunteer anywhere, especially with refugees. Find out more. Volunteer World is the World's leading comparison platform for volunteer abroad programs. We don’t believe parenting means giving up your passions, especially when you travel. Athens Eats Together is a county-wide initiative created to provide emergency food relief to any Clarke-County resident facing food insecur... 61 Remaining +29 This article is part of Changing the … I’ll be in Athens for six days March 4-9. My volunteering experience. You’ll be volunteering in refugee camps near Chalkida, a town just north of Athens, and this program places an emphasis on bringing a sense of purpose and renewed dignity to the hundreds of displaced people within temporary camps. Are there restrictions? Provide proof of two Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccinations and the results of two TB skin tests 2. Every teen volunteer must: 1. Internships. If you are an active parent ready to bring your kids on your travel adventures, you have come to the right place. Voluntourism has become a buzz word in the travel industry. There *may* be some on the ground opportunities but you will likely have to dig for them. What rules do they have surrounding child interactions? As always, we’re ensuring we have the partners, skills, resources and local understanding to continue providing aid and essential services where they’re needed most. You may be cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, and never see a refugee. NGOs/Nonprofits: Athens is home to a number of nonprofit organizations. Are they sending you where you are most needed or where you will “look the best” in photos? 3. That someone will probably be you. See below for some ongoing volunteering opportunities in Greece. All rights reserved • Privacy and Terms of Use. We’re looking for experienced youth workers and teachers, but also individuals with creativity, enthusiasm and a wide range of other skills! Some organizations aren’t set up to actually help. Help Refugees Limited, Company No 09842577, works under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, Charity No 1099682. I volunteered in Athens for 2 weeks. Volunteering Tips. While working with Medical Volunteers International (MVI) who are a team of volunteer doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical students from all over the world that provide free medical treatment in squats, social and community centres, refugee camps, via street outreach and are currently setting up a permanent clinic in Athens … To donate now to help refugees in Greece, click here. In some ways it is good, but too often there are bad news stories that go along with voluntourism. Entertain kids who are out of school and bored. Volunteer work is not glamorous. Many refugees have been stuck in this camp … Athens refugee squats exist since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis, Greece has been a destination for migrants seeking refuge on the European continent via the "Balkan Route." Find and review Athens charities, nonprofits and volunteering and donation opportunities. My volunteering experience. Information for volunteering with refugees in Greece Everything you need to know about volunteering with refugees in Greece and around, plus a virtual bulletin board for coordinating humanitarian aid, for both volunteers and supplies. I have experience working with refugees In Thessaloniki, Athens, and Germany. Moria camp fire: Now is the time for action. It happens. The pilot of the Athens Refugee Legal Support Project has now run for 2 months now. Refugee Legal Support is a registered charity … We have a small number of apartments where refugees … Yup. It is a time to sit, relax and catch up with friends. Volunteer. If you’d like to volunteer in Greece, there are a number of ready made resources for those going for the first time. Arash Hampay, community acvitist and volunteer, Athens, Greece “Just imagine thousands of homeless and refugee families that live on the street,” said Hampay, an Iranian refugee … We go into this “savior of the orphaned and downtrodden” mentality. It can also be personally gratifying. Go with your gut and ask follow up questions. Professor Alexandra Xanthaki of the Brunel Law School had contacts in Greece, and they asked for her help in the form of volunteering. Some do more harm than good. I’ll do anything that is needed. Here’s a small sample of what you could be doing when working with refugees in Greece. I am running into several road blocks: my sons age and also we only have 11days. … IVI partner with local NGO's on the ground and locally organised teams of international volunteers dedicated to providing both immediate and long term support for refugees on Chios, Lesvos & Thessaloniki. Experience the life of a refugee. Want to donate or volunteer? Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) specializes in short-term volunteer abroad programs in 12 countries. Sorry I can’t be more help. Learn what it takes to become a volunteer on the ground and learn more about the process by visiting UN Volunteers. Any suggestion would be great. You may not get to kiss babies and deliver flowers all day. I was compelled to volunteer for them because I wanted to try and help where I could with the refugee crisis. I thought for almost two years before I signed up for my first trip to Greece. It’s OK to feel good when you volunteer, but that shouldn’t be all you feel. Information for volunteering with refugees in Greece Everything you need to know about volunteering with refugees in Greece and around, plus a virtual bulletin board for coordinating humanitarian aid, for both volunteers … Our model is simple: we find the local organisations doing the most effective work, and give them what they need to help people – whether that’s funding, material aid or volunteers. From funding doctors on the islands to covering the cost of NFI distributions and WASH services in the early days, … You can find Keryn dragging her 2 boys around the DC area most days and across the globe several times a year. We work out of a community centre in Athens with the support of ILPA and Garden Court Chambers. Faros NGO in Athens, Greece, serving unaccompanied refugee minors and youth Welcome | Faros – Lighting their way 00. home about 01. projects 02. services 03. give 04. news 05. vacancies 06. Sadly, the only thing that will make anything better in the case of the refugees in Athens from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is if the wars and fighting stop and everyone can go home. It’s about what the other person needs. They will be the best resource to help you. ... We fully expect to be able to reopen our Refugee … Helping refugees and other new arrivals build sustainable independent lives in Athens lies at the heart of Project Layali, which was conceived in response to a lack of job training programmes enabling refugees … Will you have to start a project that may never see completion and help people? Short trips are very hard as they need people to help long-term I know, but there are opportunities out there! HIAS is a leading legal service provider on the island of Lesvos and opened an office in Athens to follow up on cases, pursue strategic litigation, and engage in advocacy on behalf of refugees. How long has the organization been working in this area of the world and offering short-term volunteer trips? No matter how flexible I thought I was already, it changed in a way I never thought I it could, so if you decide to volunteer, stay flexible, because ultimately, the best organizations will send you where you will be of the most use, not where you will look the best. Good luck! As a volunteer, that was incredible to see.”. They want to go back to their friends, family and way of life. Experience the life of a refugee. Athens Eats Together is a county-wide initiative created to provide emergency food relief to any Clarke-County resident facing food insecur... 61 Remaining +29 I would like to volunteer. IVI partner with local NGO's on the ground and locally organised teams of international volunteers dedicated to providing both immediate and long term support for refugees on Chios, Lesvos & Thessaloniki. 2. Any suggestions are appreciated. A teen volunteer is any boy or girl age 15 (by June 1) to 17 who is a full-time student with a B or higher grade point average. Learn how your comment data is processed. Join the Volunteering in Greece facebook group. I have volunteer experience, I was part of the Global Medical Brigade. They don’t want to be immigrants and refugees in a foreign land. It’s OK to feel good when you volunteer, but that shouldn’t be all you feel. Our team of outstanding volunteers … This post may contains affiliate links. If you only want to volunteer … I would be able to donate as well as volunteer short-term. They are only in Jordan now. Open data At the Habibi Center, we teach 30-45 eager teenagers each day. Especially when they first arrive and are learning to navigate the process of applying for asylum and aid, many need a safe place to stay. You won’t be helping them and you won’t be helping yourself. This may be a little too late – but in general a lot of the volunteer organizations require volunteers to be 18 or over due to legal and logistical issues. Volunteers are vital to our operations. The application process begins in February. It isn’t too hard to vet an organization if you know the right questions to ask. From this, the Athens Refugee … You can participate in boat arrivals preperation and support, food distribution, humanitarian aid and general volunteering … Sorry I can’t be more help. Volunteerism gets a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. We provide free legal support to those seeking sanctuary in Greece or reunification with their family members … In Athens, you’ll work with refugees in an official government-run camp. Thank you for any ideas. What are the photo and social media rules while you are working? The center staff need someone to constantly be making it. Many refugee centers provide tea to give adults a sense of normalcy and community. But this is a short trip. Volunteer in Greece with International Volunteer HQ on a range of volunteer abroad projects, including Food Outreach, Kindergarten Support, School Support and Special Needs Care. So since then I’ve just been bringing supplies and visiting families and meeting simple needs such as taking to the doctors or taking children bowling or something fun. The RLS-Athens legal clinic was set up in April 2017 by a group of UK asylum and immigration lawyers in solidarity with refugees and those working with them. I started with a medical mission but the organization left when some of the northern camps closed. With little legal help available for refugees and asylum seekers across Greece, HIAS plays a critical role by helping refugees … Keryn utilizes her project management background, along with a masters degree in journalism and an undergrad degree in photography to the team to create dynamic content and a vision that keeps up with the latest technology and trends. We welcome applications from everyone and take a select number of interns throughout the year. Follow along on their adventures on Instagram and Pinterest. I’m not sure which organization to look into as some have a bad reputation for using funds for personal use. In Athens, you’ll work with refugees in an official government-run camp. Donations raised through this website are paid to the Help Refugees restricted fund held by Prism The Gift Fund. -Keryn, Your email address will not be published. Thank you again! Cross-Cultural Solutions is a recognized leader in the field of international volunteering and work with sustainable community initiatives abroad. I’ll be coming back in the fall for a month. Over the past three years we’ve been able to support incredible grassroots teams to deliver essential services such as running a life-saving rescue boat, creating safe spaces for women and getting some of the most vulnerable people out of camps and in to proper homes. Volunteering is important work. Volunteer in Greece with International Volunteer HQ on a range of volunteer abroad projects, including Food Outreach, Kindergarten Support, School Support and Special Needs Care. Many refugees have been stuck in this camp for over two years. How are they protecting the refugees you are working with? Servant Group International (religiously affiliated), Operation Mobilization (religiously affiliated), Samaritans Purse (religiously affiliated). 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