Wave's 2024 Winter Fundraiser

Wave is a grassroots organisation that has been operating in Thessaloniki since 2018, providing for the essential needs of the city’s homeless population, with a particular focus on undocumented people, asylum seekers and refugees. We run a community centre, where people can access a hot, nutritious meal, showers, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi and electricity for charging devices, along with essential non-food items such as clothing, sleeping bags and hygiene products, as well as legal aid and basic medical care. All of these services are available without the need for registration or documents.

As temperatures fall sharply across Northern Greece, dropping below zero during the winter months, the Wave team are launching the 2024 Winter Fundraiser to make sure no one in the communities we work with faces the freezing cold without essential winter clothing.

This year, we are increasingly supporting people transferred from the islands into surrounding camps, who, without state support, remain in dire need of material aid, as well as our undocumented community members. Additionally, we send material supplies to people detained in Xanthi and Paranesti Pre-Removal Detention Centres, where migrants and asylum seekers face arbitrary administrative detention in inhumane conditions, without access to warm clothing or other basic winter supplies.

Many of the people we support are either living on the streets or in abandoned buildings without heating, electricity or stable infrastructure and rely on us for essential winter supplies to stay safe and warm. Unfortunately, material donations continue to decline making it more difficult to meet the needs of the communities who come to our centre. With fewer donations coming in, we now have to purchase costly winter items, on top of our annual budget for all of our other services.

We are asking for your help to raise €3,000 to purchase essential items like gloves, scarves, hats, thermal tops and bottoms, jackets, emergency blankets and sleeping bags. Every contribution helps us provide crucial supplies to those in need. Email us after donating if you want a personalised gift card that you can share with family and friends!

€8 buys a pair of winter gloves

€22 buys a thermal top and bottom set

€28 provides a warm sleeping bag

€30 covers the cost of a winter jacket

While we may take the warmth for granted, many of our community members face the harsh winter without the basics needed to survive the cold. Your support can make a significant difference in helping to keep people on the move in Thessaloniki warm this winter.

Thank you from all of us at Wave!