Wave started as a group of volunteers who had been working in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2018 to provide for the basic needs of the city’s homeless population, with a specific focus on people on the move. Our main goal is to provide each individual who comes to us with a nutritious, warm meal regardless of who they are, where they have come from, or what documents they have. On top of that we try to fill other gaps in services by providing information, referrals to medical care and legal organisations, hygiene kits, clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, shoes, basic showers and laundry services.
For a long time, the majority of services in the city have been off limits for undocumented people, meaning they fall through the gaps. That’s where we come in! With the ongoing support of Human Aid Now, we are able to make sure every person in Thessaloniki has somewhere to go when they are in need.
Wave started as a group of volunteers who had been working in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2018 to provide for the basic needs of the city’s homeless population, with a specific focus on people on the move. We are open seven days a week, every week of the year, and our main goal is to provide each individual who comes to us with a nutritious, warm meal regardless of who they are, where they have come from, or what documents they have. On top of that we try to fill other gaps in services by providing information, referrals to medical care and legal organisations, hygiene kits, clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, shoes, basic showers and laundry services.
For a long time, the majority of services in the city have been off limits for undocumented people, meaning they fall through the gaps. That’s where we come in! With the ongoing support and umbrella of Human Aid Now, we are able to make sure every person in Thessaloniki has somewhere to go when they are in need.
In the lived reality of Fortress Europe, inaccessible asylum systems, a lack of safe routes to seeking protection, and ramped up state repression, we serve in solidarity and advocate for the basic human rights of the people we support.
Wave – Thessaloniki has made its mission to help where no help is being given, to fill the service gaps in the region. We meet the most basic, primary and universal need of all: food. We support those who do not have the privilege to access nutritious meals, and collaborate with others to ensure that all other basic needs are fulfilled for this group.
We are currently one of the only services in the city that serve undocumented people, as well as documented, and firmly believe in equality between these two groups. We serve indiscriminately, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, and/or ability, and encourage close interpersonal exchanges to foster solidarity and contribute to the fight against injustice.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wave underwent necessary changes to operations to adhere to public safety measures, whereby we were forced to move our distributions outdoors and at the beginning were one of the only actors in the city to remain open. Fortunately, since July 2022, we have resumed indoor operations and returned to our original community centre model! We have further expanded operations to include a laundry service, hot showers and a barbershop.
Over the last two years of lockdowns and restrictions, we have managed to remain open and serve every day thanks to generous support from Three Peas- help make a difference, Cuisine Sans Frontieres, Human Aid Now, Network Anthropia, Grenzenlose Waerme, Hamburger Hilfskonvoi, Wir Packen’s An, ForRefugees and all of of our individual donors – both big and small.
Peter Teunissen – Chair
Imogen Mcroberts – Secretary
Hope Barker – Treasurer
Bart Driessen – Board Member
Justyna Rosenthal – Board Member
Nele de Burca – Board Member
The board does not receive any remuneration for their work as board members.
Become a volunteer with Wave – Thessaloniki and help us with all the behind-the-scenes work that allows our services to reach the most vulnerable. Our team activities range from going to markets and warehouses, answering emails, social media take-overs, stock checks, fundraising applications, and of course the basics: cooking, cleaning, chopping vegetables, and distributing food and NFIs.
We take our work and the services we provide seriously and so we ask that you do too. Our main goal is not to reproduce harm in the communities we support, and so we expect our volunteers to follow the best practises outlined in our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policies.
What we are looking for: You can be anybody to work with us! All you need is a month of spare time, an open heart, and a hard work ethic.
by Wiebke
by Justyna
We are a zero waste, low cost project, but for us to keep working and providing daily services we rely on your generosity and support.
You can donate via GoFundMe, PayPal or direkt to our bank account:
Our bank account:
NAME: Stichting Wave Aid
IBAN: NL28 ABNA 0126 3350 87
BIC: ABNANL2A
In the past few years we faced more challenges, and of course, made more progress. We built new connections, met new supporters, upgraded the project with laundry and shower systems, got a kitchen trailer, a shower trailer, welcomed volunteers from all over the world, and provided for thousands of people-on-the-move who, in many cases, wouldn’t have had anywhere else to go.
served
hot meals
welcomed
new arrivals
distributed
clothing and hygiene items
We couldn’t have done any of that without the generosity and support of so many individuals and organisations. Thanks to all of you!
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or to our bank account:
Name: Stichting Wave Aid
IBAN: NL28 ABNA 0126 3350 87
BIC: ABNANL2A
