This van will be used daily by our local grassroots team "foodKIND" to transport a combination of freshly cooked hot food, dry food packs and specially prepared nutritious mother's packs, to refugees living in the Malakasa and Oinofyta Refugee Camps, as well as families in nearby Athens. The foodKIND volunteers are often providing the only meal of the day for up to 1000 very vulnerable people living in poverty and they cannot do it without a reliable van.
The Greek State, watched by the European Union, is leaving thousands of refugees destitute, homeless and without any support. In COVID times, not to mention in an already struggling economy, jobs are difficult to come by and the situation is forcing cash-only jobs for which pay can be as low as 1,11 per hour. The Malakasa Camp is now home to an extra 600 people, unregistered and with no access to funds, whilst pregnant women, and new and nursing mums, are being left malnourished.
Our grassroots partner, foodKIND, provide hot meals, dry food packs and mother's packs to those in need at in Camp Malakasa, Oinofyta and some living on the streets in Athens. They depend on their van and, unfortunately, it's becoming less dependable by the day. They are in urgent need of a new, reliable van to enable them to buy and pick up shopping, transport the pots of freshly cooked food and food packs to the camps for distribution and to move their volunteers from the kitchen to the camp.
foodKIND have already been operating in this area for nearly five years and have gained the trust of camp management, other charities in the area and the camp residents. The situation in Greece is getting harder and harder for refugees and families and they will continue providing nutrition for as long as they're needed; expanding services in Athens if budget and capacity allow. The project will literally be a lifeline to thousands of men, women and children.
