AUGUST 2026 - Monthly Report

At Wave in August 2026, we served 2,172 hot meals, welcomed 88 new arrivals, charged 152 phones and power banks, ran 52 showers, washed 111 laundry loads, and distributed 195 hygiene packages and 991 clothing items.

The total population we supported this month was 1,099.

 

Numbers and Operations
Our community centre has been busier in August compared to the start of the summer, bringing daily attendance back up to the levels we saw in April and May of this year. To put that in context, we served around 30% more meals than in July 2026, with the total number of visitors following a similar trend. Our laundry services also hit a record of 111 loads, compared to our average of around 70 loads a month, a clear sign that more and more people are relying on our centre for sanitation services over the summer.

We believe this rise in attendance is connected both to the end of seasonal summer jobs –  and it’s always nice to welcome some familiar faces back to Wave! – but sadly also to a growing number of evictions from the nearby Reception and Identification camps (RICs). These individuals are mainly from Sudan and South Sudan, and they’re being evicted after receiving a positive response to their asylum application. Left without any state support, some end up homeless in Thessaloniki.

At the peak of the summer heatwave, we were also sad to announce that, for reasons beyond our control, we had to pause our shower services. Our team is currently focused on finding an alternative way to offer showers to our community members, and we hope to resume this essential service as soon as possible.

A Health Education Class at Wave from Med’Equali Team
In early August, our partner Med’Equali Team – the same medical team that runs two (very busy!) free medical clinics a week at our centre – organised a Health Education session for our community members on skin diseases. The class took place on a Monday during our early opening hours, and the feedback from our community was overwhelmingly positive. With an attendance of around 25–30 people, the session was delivered in English, with live Greek and Arabic translation provided by one of our community members. It offered valuable information on skin diseases and prevention, a topic that isn’t as widely understood as it should be.