Wave began in 2018 as a group of volunteers in Thessaloniki, Greece 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. We offer a space where everyone is welcome as a community member.
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, showers and laundry services. Our community centre provides a welcoming space where people can relax, meet others and feel a sense of safety. Alongside this, we provide access to electricity and Wi-Fi, so people can stay connected to their family, friends and vital resources online.
Our work began with a focus on people on the move, particularly those without legal status and excluded from the asylum system. Many came from so-called “safe countries of origin” and were left without accommodation or financial support, living in informal housing arrangements without electricity, water or basic infrastructure. Over time, our work has expanded to support people living in camps while awaiting asylum decisions, as well as local people experiencing homelessness, poverty and barriers to accessing support.
We believe in an open-door policy where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and care and where everyone can feel part of a community. In the lived reality of Fortress Europe, inaccessible asylum systems, a lack of safe routes to seeking protection, and ramped-up state repression, we act in solidarity and advocate for the basic human rights of the people we support.
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’s goal is to fill the service gaps for those who are unable to access services in the region. We meet the most basic, primary and universal need of all: food, by providing nutritious meals to those who otherwise cannot access them. Beyond food, we collaborate with other organisations to ensure that the basic needs of the communities we work in solidarity with are met, from access to medical care to legal support.
We are currently one of the only services in the city that supports both undocumented and documented people on the move, as well as local residents experiencing poverty, and we firmly believe in equality between all of these 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.
Our community centre is open four days a week, providing a safe and welcoming space where individuals can access essential services, feel supported and be part of a community. We offer a hot, nutritious meal to everyone who comes through our doors. In addition, we provide:
Hope Barker – Chair
Jelle Pieper – Secretary
Daniel Riley Eskiturk– Treasurer
Ruth Sutton – Board Member
Annie Molloy – 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
ran
showers
distributed
clothing and hygiene items
sent
care packages to people in immigration detention
charged
electronic devices
washed
loads of laundry
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
