One year of co-action at the Athens Solidarity Center
Multiple benefits and results
On Thursday, January 14, 2016, the organizations ARSIS, PRAKSIS, NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN, THE ASYLUM SERVICE and, SolidarityNow invite you to a joint Press Conference to mark the first anniversary of the Athens Solidarity Center.
After the co- operation of 1 year, all the implementing partners under the auspices of SolidarityNow exhibit their work, the results of their actions and the multiple benefits of offering free services to the beneficiaries, operating in a common structure.
Services offered at the Athens Solidarity Center include:
- Legal Assistance from ARSIS
- Medical Services from PRAKSIS
- Employability Services from PRAKSIS
- Day Care Center for Children from NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
- Advisory Services from ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN
- Examination of asylum applications by the ASYLUM SERVICE
SolidarityNow coordinates and communicates the activities of the Centre as a whole.
The services provided by the Solidarity Center are free and addressed to all: adults and children who are faced with poverty and social exclusion, with housing and insurance problems, migrants and asylum seekers/refugees, and to any family wishing to obtain specialized counselling services. The Solidarity Center implements an “open door” policy and is accessible to everyone regardless of nationality, religion, ethnic origin and social status.
The Press Conference will be held at 12:00 at the Athens Solidarity Center (Domokou 2 & Philadelphias | across the Larissa Station, 1st floor).
PRAKSIS
The main goal of PRAKSIS is the design, implementation and delivery of developmental, humanitarian and medical programs. Based on the two Polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Reception Day Centers for the Homeless (Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki), the Reception Center for Unaccompanied Minors in Patras, the Centers for Unaccompanied Minors STEGI PLUS (+), PRAKSIS operates in Greece, mainly in Attica, Central Macedonia, the Aegean islands (e.g. Lesvos, Samos, Kos, Chios, Leros etc.), on the northern border of the country, as well as in the region of Patras, by offering for 18 years direct and free medical care, psychological and legal support to the local homeless, poor, uninsured, newly arrived asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants, repatriated, unaccompanied minors, street children, ex-prisoners and to other socially and economically excluded groups.
It also provides free testing for HIV and Hepatitis B,C, through Mobile Units for Examination and Information; additionally, it operates a Help Line 800 11 11 600 (toll free from a landline) 210 82 50 600 (free of charge from mobile) that provides information about sexually transmitted diseases, Hepatitis B, C and HIV.
www.praksis.gr | email: info@praksis.gr
ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
ARSIS is a non-governmental organization specialized in the social support of young people and vulnerable groups and the defense of human rights. The main axis of ARSIS’s actions is support, reintegration, education, securing housing and employment, protection of rights, citizens’ awareness and fostering volunteering and solidarity. It is active against discrimination, poverty and marginalization. Founded in 1992, ARSIS operates centers in Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, Volos and Kozani.
www.arsis.gr | email:arsisathina.legalaid@gmail.com
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
The Network for Children’s Rights is a non-governmental organization established in 2004 with primary aim the sensitization and active intervention to the problems regarding Children’s Rights. It has undertaken actions and initiatives for the implementation of the UN International Convention on the Rights of the Child in our country, as well as for the respect of diversity and discriminations. Its members are teachers, parents, academics, writers, artists and children, who act voluntarily in and out of the school community, they undertake research, campaigns and programs.
www.ddp.org.gr | email:diktio1@gmail.com
ASSOCIATION “Together for Children”
The Association “Together for Children” is comprised of 10 charitable organizations that have as a common denominator the child and the modern family, and operates in Greece since 1996. The nationwide Line “11525” and the “Counselling Center” of the Association “Together for Children” are hosted from January 2015 at the Athens Solidarity Center, offering through qualified staff free services for any issue that concerns parents, children and adolescents raising awareness and offering guidance and psycho – emotional support to each family.
www.mazigiatopaidi.gr | email: info@mazigiatopaidi.gr, 11525@mazigiatopaidi.gr
NATIONAL ASYLUM SERVICE
The National’s Asylum Service mandate is according to the law the implementation of the national legislation on the provision of political asylum and other forms of international protection to foreigners who have fled their country due to justified fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, national origin, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, and who are unable or unwilling to return home. As required by law, the Service receives, examines and decides on the basis of the national legislation and the international obligations of the country, for asylum applications filed in Greece. The Solidarity Center serves vulnerable people, so as to enable the direct provision of medical, psychosocial and legal services of the organizations hosted in the Center, when necessary.
www.asylo.gov.gr/en/ | email: press.asylo@asylo.gov.gr
SOLIDARITYNOW
SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations founded in 2013 in Greece with the initiative of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) mainly aiming at providing assistance and support to those affected by the current crisis. The program “Solidarity Centers” has been running since January 2014 and is based on the idea of an open space, a core that enhances the participation of different groups of civil society in order to cover the lack of access of the city’s most vulnerable populations to integrated services.
www.solidaritynow.org | email: contact@solidaritynow.org
The Athens Solidarity Center operates with the financial support of Open Society Foundations, the EEA Norway Grants and the Norwegian Embassy in Greece, in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens and fund operator, PWC Cyprus and First Elements Euroconsultants Ltd. The 2009-2014 Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA, EEA Grants), which is the main donor of the Athens Solidarity Center, constitutes the financial contribution of the three donor countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, for the reduction of the financial and social disparities between EEA regions and the strengthening of bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries. In particular, the EEA grants period 2009-2014, contribute with financial aid totaling 993 million euros to support 86 projects in 16 European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
The amount that has been committed for Greece amounts to 63.4 mil. euros and the priority areas selected are: Protection and Management of the Environment, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Civil Society, Human and Social Development and the Academic Research.
For more information
PRAKSIS: Chryoula Patsou , Press Officer, presspraksis@gmail.com / 2105205200, 6947719678
ARSIS: Evangelia Kontodima, arsisathina.legalaid@gmail.com / 2108257661
ASYLUM SERVICE/ REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE ATTICA ASYLUM SERVICE: Katerina Prentza, e.prentza@asylo.gov.gr / 210 6988690
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS: Angeliki Sandilou, diktio4@gmail.com / 2108257667
ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN: Evina Sotiropoulou, Head of Press Office & Digital Media, socialmedia@mazigiatopaidi.gr / 210 74 82 690
SolidarityNow: Sophia Ioannou, Director of Communications & Fundraising, sophia@solidaritynow.org / 2106772500, 6937251997