Last year, from November 2023 to April 2024, Samos Volunteers distributed 38,432 items, including shoes, to 4,853 people on the move. As we prepare for the coming winter, we aim once again to reach those who need support the most.
This November, we begin our winter clothes distribution and open our free shop to the displaced community residing on the island. Over 97% of the displaced community in Samos resides in the closed-controlled access center (CCAC), which, at the time of this publication, has officially exceeded its maximum capacity of resident accommodation for already over one month. As of the latest reports, there are around 4,900 people we may expect requesting winter clothes with us.
This is the highest number of residents registered in the closed-controlled access centre on Samos since it opened in 2021.
This is why we are launching the Choose Your Warmth 2024 campaign! This campaign is targeted to allow us to cover our costs while operating our highly needed winter clothes distribution to the island's displaced communities.
The CCAC currently does not distribute clothes or warm materials to support the newly arrived residents of the CCAC except for ‘emergency’ cases - of which the criteria are limited and informal. This is an outright violation of human rights as outlined by the EU Directive. Carrying extra clothing is often difficult for people on the move because safe travel routes are limited. When new arrivals to Samos aren’t provided with clothing, they’re forced to live in unhygienic conditions, increasing their risk of skin infections and other health issues without the chance to change clothes. This lack of support results in cruel and dehumanizing treatment.
Additionally, limited bedding has been provided recently, and no heating has been installed in the camp infrastructure. The accommodation is an establishment of containers, with no heating services implemented inside to protect the residents from the wind and winter cold. Being in a remote part of the island, in the middle of a vast hilly range, the weather is also significantly harsher and colder at that altitude.
Immense pressure is put on grassroots NGOs, such as Samos Volunteers, because we need to provide an avenue for the community to fill this need left bereft by government inaction, ensuring people can protect themselves from the weather every winter. Our commitment to inclusivity, sustainability, responsiveness, dignity, and equality means we want to be as prepared as possible to assist the whole community on the island. You can refer to our budget plan below to see the list of our expenses and needs to ensure a sustainable distribution of winter clothing for two months.
Your support will enable us to ensure everyone can keep warm this winter with dignity.
If you prefer to donate clothes with us directly, we try to respond accurately to our demographic. Trends show we most consistently have a majority of men in sizes S and M. For reasons of cultural and social sensitivity, we prefer clothes that cover the knees and shoulders of all genders. We also appreciate clothes that do not have large brands on them or have writing and imagery that may be triggering for people on the move (no references to the police, Coast Guard, violence, weaponry, sea, or imprisonment for either adult or children's clothes). For hygiene reasons, we do not accept secondhand undergarments.
Our most greatly requested items are second-hand shoes, jackets, and (new and unused) underwear.
#ChooseYourWarmth2024
Please refer to our budget plan for our winter months here.
You can send an email to [email protected] or [email protected] for further information.
Watch the Warehouse Team prepare for winter distribution here!