May 2024 Monthly Report

In May 2024, we at Wave served 3,270 hot meals, distributed 431 clothing items, 4 sleeping bags and blankets and 922 hygiene items, ran 137 showers, charged 265 phones and powerbanks, and washed 106 loads of laundry. In the past month, we supported 78 people detained in Pre-Removal Detention Centres with clothing, hygiene items and coffee. 

Update of Opening Hours and Getting Creative.

This month we have been restrategising as we aim, in the coming months, to offer additional activities to our community in order to meet ever-changing needs. In accordance with these considerations and to accommodate upcoming changes more broadly, we have adjusted our opening hours and times. That is, we will now be operating on a Monday-Friday and Sunday basis from 14:00-19:30. Our shower and laundry services will also continue to run on these days as well as the free shop where people can access basic hygiene items, sleeping bags and clothing during the week-days. To accommodate for our closure on Saturdays and ensure that our community still have access to a hot, nutritious meal, we will be collaborating with a local collective in which we will be re-directing our community members as well as sharing food supplies to aid with distribution on Saturdays.

In relation to this, some exciting (and tangible!) changes have already been taking place in the centre these last days. While we closed the centre to the community for our re-strategizing days on the 25th-27th, our dedicated and creative volunteers did an incredible job freshen up the community space; spending time building new shelves, painting the communal area, reorganising stock and expanding the designated prayer space. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers for taking the time and energy to do this freshen up!

Wir Packen’s An and NAOMI

As the weather warms in Thessaloniki so too does the need for material assistance. We struggle to stock our free-shop with clothing that accommodates for the 30-40 degrees temperatures the city experiences in the summer months, as well as sourcing essential hygiene items and even mosquito coils which provide some form of relief during hot nights in difficult living structures. On this note, we would like to express our gratitude to the wonderful Wir Packen’s An who are consistent donors and supporters of our project. Earlier in the month Wir Packen’s An sent us a delivery filled with t-shirts, joggers, long sleeve tops, hygiene items and footwear, of which is always in particular demand. Thank you WPA!

In addition to shipments of donations from organisations such as Wir Packens An, we also depend on organisations operating in Northern Greece to support with material needs. NAOMI Workshop has been a continuous supporter of our project for many years, allowing us to regularly distribute joggers and shorts to our community and people in Pre-Removal Detention Centres. However, more recently and amidst difficult funding horizons, NAOMI have struggled to source donations that supplement the cost of making their clothing. As temperatures continue to rise in Thessaloniki, we depend on these regular donations to keep our community cool amidst persistent heat waves. Please consider donating to NAOMI via their website:  https://naomi.gr/ .

Visit from Private Donor

While May marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer, temperatures in Thessaloniki have remained in the high 20s throughout the month with little rain nor cloudy days in between. In the midst of May we warmly welcomed a visit from a long term donor and support of our project who delved into the task of organising air conditioning for our storage room. This was a particularly crucial task because different organisations offering a range of services such as legal advice and medical care utilise this space to consult members of the community. In a matter of days they were able to deliver the good news that our storage room is now fully air-conditioned! To be able to offer our community some form of respite from the heat whilst the space is used to access important services and address sensitive issues, is a relief for everyone operating in this space. Going further, they carried out an assessment of the space and replaced and installed new plugs in the kitchen area and communal space as well as donating a new hot plate for the kitchen! We thank you for your enthusiastic engagement and for your kindness and generosity during your visit.