By IsraAID Staff | Thessaloniki, Greece
A huge influx of refugees feeling violence in the Middle East and parts of Africa has overwhelmed Greece since 2015, now recognized as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. As of June 2018, Greece has absorbed some 60,000 refugees, with over 8,000 living in and around the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, many of whom need vital support in jumpstarting their new lives in Europe.
The Sindos Community Center, named for the suburb outside of Thessaloniki where some 500 refugees live in NGO-sponsored housing for refugees, is the only local institution in the area providing essential support to these families and individuals. Each day more than 70 refugees come to the Community Center, where a holistic rehabilitation program offers job training, language classes, music and art therapy classes, and a child friendly space.
In January, a team of interior designers visited the center to help makeover the space and make it more inviting for all. For two weeks, the volunteer designers led workshops for members of the community to paint, upholster, decorate, clean up, and recreate their space. The community came out to lead the project, deciding on color schemes and patterns, and revealing hidden artistic talents! At the end of the makeover process, the community came together for a celebratory breakfast to enjoy the newly polished space.
Over the last year, the Sindos Community Center has become a hub of intercultural, communal ownership, creating a platform for meaningful interaction between refugees and local Greeks. Refugees from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Morocco, Algeria, Congo, and Kurdistan facilitate and teach the daily schedule of classes, supported by IsraAID’s Greek and international staff. Professional development courses aimed at improving refugee access to gainful employment focus on CV workshops, English and Greek classes, skill building sessions, and IT training.
Now, with the newly designed space, even more community members will be able to enjoy the center and the variety of services it offers.
Thank you so much for your support of these and our other important programs in Greece!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
