ARSIS KOINONIKI ORGANOSI YPOSTIRIXIS NEON

description of organisation

ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth is a Greek NGO operating in the field of child and youth protection. ARSIS was founded in 1992 and its main aim is to protect youth at risk, as well as assist the re-integration of vulnerable groups such as the homeless, ex-prisoners, the unemployed etc. The protection of socially disadvantaged groups that are threatened with social exclusion and marginalization lies at the core of the organization’s aims, while advocating for their rights.
ARSIS supports young people experiencing life conditions that may hinder, prevent, suspend, obstruct their smooth personal development and access to social goods and conditions, e.g. inadequate support from their families, neglect, abuse, exploitation, rejection by the education system, immigration, refugee status, homelessness, unemployment, conflicts with the law, institutionalization or imprisonment, etc. Committed to the idea of a holistic approach and methodology, ARSIS also takes into account and includes the support of their family environment.
Supported by national funds and European grants, ARSIS aims at: the development of social work that eliminates the conditions of exclusion, the support of young people at risk or already socially marginalized, the highlight of social problems and the planning of activities for their confrontation, the advocacy of youths’ rights, the citizens’ awareness, the cooperation and networking with social services, public and NGOs at national, transnational, European and international level, the creation of direct intervention-assistance services, hosting structures and providing support for socially disadvantaged youth and other vulnerable groups (families living under the threats of poverty or under poverty conditions, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, homeless, Roma, prisoners and former prisoners), aiming to improve their living conditions and facilitate their social integration, the implementation of activities and the provision of a temporary accommodation for children at risk or affected by neglecting, trafficking or abuse.

More specifically, ARSIS currently numbers a total of approximately 680 employees and operates structures in the cities of Thessaloniki, Athens, Ioannina, Alexandroupoli, Kozani and Volos such as: Youth Support Centers (YSCs) in Thessaloniki, Athens and Kozani ,a Social Service in Thessaloniki, a PsychoSocial Support Center in Thessaloniki ,‘’The House of ARSIS”, a Shelter for the Temporary Accommodation of Children & Youth in danger, in Oreokastro, Thessaloniki, 7 Shelters for Unaccompanied Minors in Athens, Thessaloniki (Oraiokastro, Pilaia, Tagarades), Alexandoupoli and Makrinitsa of Volos , 7 «SafeΖones» of Temporary Accommodation for Unaccompanied minors in Refugee Camps of Diavata, Lagadikia, Kavala, Drama, Agia Eleni, Schisto, Ritsona and Thiva, 5 Hotels serving as emergency accommodation spaces for unaccompanied minors in Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Kozani, Agios Athanasios and Konitsa, a Refugee Center in Athens, for the reception and hosting of families of asylum seekers, “Filoksenio”, the Shelter for Asylum Seekers Families in Toumpa, Thessaloniki, the “REACT” – Refugee Assistance Collaboration in Thessaloniki” Programme, a Provisional Hospitality Programme for Refugee Asylum Seekers and Candidates for Relocation from the Country, Temporary Accommodation Program in apartments in Athens, Thessaloniki, Samos, Chios, Kos, Leros and Lesvos for candidates of relocation and vulnerable cases, Social Apartments for the Accommodation of Asylum Seekers in Athens, Thessaloniki and Volos, SYN-PRAKSI - Collection, Storage and Distribution Network for People in Need, Community Service for the support of several vulnerable social-economic groups, Mobile School, in regions where children live or work at the streets in collaboration with NGO PRAKSIS, Activities for the protection of children who work at the street/are victims of trafficking, Social work at the streets for the support of homeless/refugees, Actions in ROMA communities, Interventions in Prisons, Actions related to the right to housing, A child protection team in Evros and Education activities in Human Rights based on the Compass / Compassito manual (CoE accredited institution).

ARSIS’ work is supported by national, European and other grants, a large network of volunteers, as well as sponsorships from socially responsible enterprises, institutions and charities. ARSIS collaborates with public services and NGOs from Greece and abroad.
ARSIS also remains committed to the idea of volunteering and the assistance those individuals offer to its activities, offering to those interested the chance to actively become parts of the civil society and help towards the achievement of ARSIS’ work.Currently,ARSIS has an active volunteer network that numbers a total of 300 volunteers.

Volunteering project