by the Blue Solidarity Center in Thessaloniki

Ms. X, first visited the Blue Solidarity Center in December 2024, accompanied by her children’s teacher. A single mother of five, she carried with her the burden of chronic homelessness and the isolation that often comes with the lack of a support network.

The reason for her visit was the upcoming expiration of her rental agreement. She turned to the Center seeking support regarding the financial assistance she had been receiving from another organization to avoid the risk of ending up on the streets again with her children.

During the initial meeting, the Center’s Legal Service discovered that her temporary residence permit had expired in October 2024, further worsening her already vulnerable situation.

Addressing the family’s most urgent needs became an immediate priority.

Through the donation program of the “Kind Things”* Public Benefit Foundation to SolidarityNow, food was secured for the family, offering them a sense of stability and safety. The children’s school, actively supportive, played a vital role in this effort.

Ms. X was then referred to the Employment Service, where her determination and drive to improve her life became immediately evident. Despite lacking legal documents, she was working informally, earning very little. However, without valid residence papers, she could neither secure formal employment nor renew her lease, keeping her trapped in a cycle of instability.

Recognizing the seriousness of her case, a new referral was made to the Legal Service’s team. With the cooperation of the Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow in Athens** and persistent efforts to gather the required documentation, Ms. X’s legal residency status in Greece was eventually restored.

After months of uncertainty, Ms. X and her children were finally able to move out of the precarious situation they had been living in. The renewal of her documents not only meant legal residency, but also a new beginning with access to lawful employment, stable housing, and the possibility of a dignified future.

Ms. X’s story is a powerful example of how the right support, persistence, and collective action can open paths where there once seemed to be none. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, the value of collaboration, and the power of solidarity.

* “Kind Things” Public Benefit Foundation supports the coverage of emergency expenses incurred to meet the needs of the organization’s beneficiaries in the Athens and Thessaloniki Solidarity Centers.

**Since August 1st, 2023, the operation of Athens Solidarity Center by SolidarityNow is supported by the Swiss-Greek Cooperation Programme (Embassy of Switzerland in Greece) to reducing economic and social disparities in the EU and by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. The Athens Solidarity Center is also supported by the Municipality of Athens.