This site is the manifestation of the collective efforts of our group to bring valuable information on how to help with the refugee crisis in Greece as an independent volunteer. We all come from different backgrounds and nationalities, but we have worked together for over a year to bring this resource to you, because we are all committed to supporting individuals to respond to the refugee crisis in an effective and humane manner.
In the autumn of 2015, an unprecedented crisis unfolded on the shores of the Greek islands. As conditions were getting worse in Syria, refugees fleeing war had begun arriving daily in the thousands. With the Greek government and large aid organizations responding ineffectively to the surges of people, independent volunteers arrived to help locals cope with an unfolding catastrophe. However, they quickly found themselves in a chaotic situation, often struggling to handle the multitudes of scenarios all happening simultaneously. As a way to organize and communicate with one another, The Information Point for Lesvos Volunteers was born.
The small group started on Facebook and quickly grew to over 10 000 people. Early on, a few of our administrators created a 40 page “manual” on how to volunteer on the island with a detailed map of camps, rescue sites and other important landmarks. The page acted as a space for volunteers to openly ask questions and share information, while the whole admin team sometimes literally worked around the clock to try to find and share as many verifiable answers as we could to the members.
In January this year, Thierry, who had just started to run a website with general information, joined the team and lesvol.info was born. Two months later, the project expanded beyond Lesvos and greecevol.info came into being.
Our aim is to provide you with basic information to help you to find quickly the data you need and make your efforts more efficient. But don’t forget, we only show the information that comes from people like you. So use the site and share your information with others. This is a collaborative effort and together, we get can get shit done. Please use our site, comment, share, and as always - keep going!
We believe in you.
Thank you from the greecevol team
Ana Jorge© 2016