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.