Supporting Food-Vulnerable/Homeless People in Athens
Program Overview
We are pleased to offer three separate one-week programs which entail serving food-vulnerable and other disenfranchised people in a structured environment and in partnership with respected Greek non-profit organizations. Our goal is to support Athens’ homeless population by providing food support, fellowship and solidarity.
Scholarships will be offered for this program for participants with financial need that will cover lodging, program expenses including excursions, transportation within Athens and some meals.
Alternatively, if no financial need exists, applicants can opt to purchase the package after they have been accepted.
These programs are open to anyone 18+ or under 17 volunteering with a legal parent/guardian. Each program is limited to 12 people. See below for the full program details.
Partners & Location
Boroume is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2011 to reduce food waste by distributing surplus food to charities. Boroume connects all kinds of food donors with hundreds of soup kitchens and welfare organizations all over Greece, helping to feed more than thousands of people daily. Since the creation of its innovative food saving model it has saved & offered more than 32 million portions of food.
Our other partner is the Emfasis Foundation, which was founded in 2013 to support thousands of poor, homeless, unemployed and vulnerable people in Athens. Whilst the foundation provides daily basic food items during its streetwork outreach program, it also performs food drives in collaboration with fellow nonprofits — as well as night runs to provide personalized psychosocial and survival kits for people who live (or spend a substantial part of their day) on the streets.
This program will take place in various areas within the center of Athens.
Program Dates & Description
Three week-long programs are offered. Each weeklong program begins on a Sunday with an informal arrival, registration and check-in at the host hotel. Program participants MUST be in Athens on each starting date without exception. The program will conclude on Saturday. Participants should plan to depart Athens the following morning.
Program 1
June 7-13
Program 2
June 14-20
Program 3
June 21-28
Each program will begin with orientation sessions with staff from our local partners, Boroume and Emfasis Foundation. Boroume staff will introduce themselves to volunteers while providing a briefing/training session.
Volunteers will work closely with Greek America Foundation, Boroume and Emfasis staff and under their supervision. Ordinarily, volunteers will work weekdays for 6-8 hours per day (with lunch break) in various locations within the city center of Athens.
Volunteer work with Boroume will include serving food at soup kitchens and gathering food from farmer’s markets.
Work with Emfasis will include: training on the streetwork toolkit & outreach methodology. This will encompass a general knowledge about the demographic profile of the population in street conditions, protocol & safety, team structure, objectives and outcomes. Also included will be occasional “night runs” with Emfasis streetworkers. Volunteers will help provide psychosocial support and distribute survival kits and food items to homeless Athens and Piraeus areas; help with the preparation of Emfasis’ two Mobile Support Units; fill out report/observation sheets; and document parts of the experience in a blog format to share with the organization and peers.
During some evenings, volunteers will either have free time to explore or attend dinner-inclusive excursions arranged by the Greek America Foundation. Excursions will include local happenings and cultural events taking place in Athens.
Weekly Schedule
Day 1 (Sunday)
Arrival, welcome dinner, orientation and meeting with representatives of Greek America Foundation, Emfasis Foundation and Boroume.
Day 2 (Monday)
4-6 hours of volunteer work with partner charity Boroume visiting soup kitchens to prepare and serve food. This is followed by a quick lunch, then the team will visit the urban markets of Athens to gather food that will be shared with local institutions.
PM – Volunteers will either have free time to explore or attend a dinner-inclusive excursion arranged by the Greek America Foundation. Excursions will include local happenings and cultural events taking place in Athens.
Day 3 (Tuesday)
4-6 hours of volunteer work with partner charity Boroume visiting soup kitchens to prepare and serve food. This is followed by a quick lunch, then the team will visit the urban markets of Athens to gather food that will be shared with local institutions.
PM – Night run with Emfasis Foundation.
Day 4 (Wednesday)
4-6 hours of volunteer work with partner charity Boroume visiting soup kitchens to prepare and serve food. This is followed by a quick lunch, then the team will visit the urban markets of Athens to gather food that will be shared with local institutions.
PM – Volunteers will either have free time to explore or attend a dinner-inclusive excursion arranged by the Greek America Foundation. Excursions will include local happenings and cultural events taking place in Athens.
Day 5 (Thursday)
4-6 hours of volunteer work with partner charity Boroume visiting soup kitchens to prepare and serve food. This is followed by a quick lunch, then the team will visit the urban markets of Athens to gather food that will be shared with local institutions.
PM – Night run with Emfasis Foundation.
Day 6 (Friday)
4-6 hours of volunteer work with partner charity Boroume visiting soup kitchens to prepare and serve food. This is followed by a quick lunch, then the team will visit the urban markets of Athens to gather food that will be shared with local institutions.
PM – Night run with Emfasis Foundation.
Day 7 (Saturday)
Final day of volunteering.
PM – Farewell dinner, final night
Program Specifics
Accommodation will be provided at a 4-star hotel in the center of Athens in double occupancy. A single supplement will be available to volunteers wishing to stay in a single room. Daily breakfast is included. Several dinners will also be provided during the week-long program. Participants should budget about €80 per week for extra meals that are not included in the package.
Transportation to and from volunteer locations will be provided via public transportation (bus, metro) as directed and needed by the day’s activities.
Excursions/activities are included in the price.
The Greek America Foundation will purchase travel medical insurance to cover emergency and routine medical needs only for the dates of the program. Please make sure to hold your own health insurance policy as well and check whether coverage is available abroad.
On-site staff will be available 24/7 to support volunteers.
Scholarships/Program Fees
If financial need exists, you may opt for a full scholarship covering all program fees mentioned above. (Airfare to Greece is not covered by scholarship funds). You can also opt to pay for the program if no financial need exists. The cost for participation is $1,399.00 — plus airfare to Greece. This cost includes accommodations, most meals and cultural activities/excursions as mentioned above.
Desired Qualities in a Volunteer
Our volunteer work is rewarding in the best sense — you give of yourself and get more back than you gave.
The Greek America Foundation seeks volunteers who are able to handle quickly changing environments, encountering people from different cultures and sharing viewpoints and the emotional ups and downs that come with working in challenging conditions. Our volunteer work may at times be physically demanding: summer temperatures in Greece can reach 100 degrees and we will be outside at times engaging in physical activity. Please note that we will always be mindful of putting everyone’s health first during hot weather.
Staff from the Greek America Foundation and our partner organizations will be on hand at all times. We encourage all volunteers to take down time, practice self-care and use their own coping strategies while engaged in this work. Having strong boundaries, knowing your limits and when to take a break are important skills while volunteering.
College Credit Add-On Travel Experience
Thanks to our partnership with the Hellenic American University, a US-accredited university in Athens, this program includes the option for volunteers to pay to participate in a three-credit one-week summer course called “Walk Across Greece.” This program takes students on an immersive journey across Greece’s countryside, islands and thousands of years of history. Click here to see the syllabus/curriculum.
The Hellenic American University has offered three options for the program that coincide with each of our three Athens programs. The cost is $1800 and includes three college credits, travel, accommodations, museum tickets and a certified professor/guide. If you would like to reserve a spot in this program, please indicate so in your application.
“Walk Across Greece” Course Schedule
WAG Session 1: May 30 – June 6 * This program runs during the week prior to volunteer program 1: June 7-13
WAG Session 2: June 20 – 27 * This program runs during the week after volunteer program 2: June 14-20
WAG Session 3: June 29 – July 6 * This program runs during the week after volunteer program 3: June 21-28
Frequently Asked Questions
I’d like to attend another program/conference/family celebration. Can I join the program late or leave at any time?
Participants are expected to be present for the duration of the program as detailed above and not attend other events.
What’s a typical day like?
Volunteers will work weekdays for 6-8 hours per day (with lunch break). Tasks include serving food at soup kitchens and gathering food from farmer’s markets, as well as participating in night runs to provide psychosocial and food support for Athens’ homeless. During evenings, volunteers will either have free time to explore or attend dinner-inclusive excursions in Athens arranged by the Greek America Foundation.
Is it safe to be in Athens?
The Greek America Foundation vets all volunteer locations for safety and suitability for our volunteers. Likewise, NGO partners are also vetted for accountability and ability to handle our volunteer group. The city of Athens is generally quite safe. Reasonable precautions will be taken to ensure safety at all times. Volunteers will receive safety training and guidance on behavior best practices for a variety of contexts.
Do I need to speak Greek to participate?
English and Greek will be the main languages spoken in the volunteer program. Knowledge of Greek is not required, but knowledge of the language is a definite plus for our volunteers. Interpreters will be available at times.
Application
DEADLINE: March 7, 2020 @ 11:59 PM EST
Applicants that have been accepted into the program will be notified on a rolling basis beginning on February 14. All applicants will be notified by March 27 at the latest.
CLICK HERE
Why this program?
According to official statistics, almost 4 million people in Greece live below the poverty level and are at risk of hunger.
A decade-long crippling financial crisis decimated homes and families and led to a new phenomenon of homelessness in cities throughout Greece– a societal issue never-before experienced in Greece at these levels.
Today, there are an estimated 20,000 homeless people in Athens, alone, which is exacerbated with the recent arrival of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants, many of whom flee camps or detention centers and live in makeshift camps in city squares.
Our work will support two of the most innovative charities in Athens supporting homeless and food-vulnerable people with a range of activities including work in soup kitchens, the gathering of unused fruits and vegetables from urban markets, as well as night-time street runs to tend to the needs of people living on the streets.