During Christmas break Sebastian Döring of the GIScience group Heidelberg went with his friends from the Soup & Socks team as volunteer for two weeks to Greece for supporting refugees. In coordination with other NGOs the team helped out with two vans full of kitchen equipment, food, medicine and donations of many kinds at the Victoria & Omonia square in Athens. Athens has turned into a melting pot for refugees, which arrived from the Islands like Leros or Kos and the non-SIA refugees (SIA: Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan). They became “stranded” there because the authorities don’t let them pass the borders anymore and they normally return to Athens after being denied entry at the border to Macedonia. One of the most challenging tasks was to deal with an unknown number of refugees and keeping the crowds of people in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. Also serving up to 500 Soups and providing warm clothes in a fairly way was difficult and often very emotional. The direct social contact helped us to understand their inhuman situation.
Donations for further activities are welcome at: Soup & Socks
Soup & Socks meet German Alliance for Civilian Assistance
Soup delivery for Refugees at Victoria Square in Athen
Drawings of children of refugees
More info at Soups & Socks