ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth is a Non-governmental organization founded in 1992 in Greece with the aim of supporting children that face social difficulties and are at risk of social exclusion and marginalization as well as the promotion of human rights and the provision of services for socially vulnerable groups (homeless, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, Roma people or people that live under the poverty level, etc.).
The “ARSIS Home” is the only shelter for the emergency accommodation of children at risk, with the capacity of hosting 23 children victims of neglect, abuse, trafficking and smuggling or at risk due to precarious family or socio-economical conditions.
The services provided in the context of ensuring each child’s best interest include the accommodation, psychological and emotional support, integration to the education system and the social environment, activities for individual empowerment and social skills, support for their independent living.
Until today, the “ARSIS Home” has hosted more than 300 children and teenagers, for an average time of stay of three years, while ARSIS’ objective is not to cut the links with their family environment and to return to it, as long as the proper conditions have been formulated.
The “ARSIS Home” operates since 2007 in the infrastructures of the former child village of Oreokastro and is funded by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in order to cover the costs for the recruitment of the minimum necessary staff, a part of the heating costs, the costs for electricity and telecommunications.
For the rest functional needs, the shelter depends and trusts private initiatives, that are realized through donations and sponsorships in money and in kind.
Since 2019 the “ARSIS Home” participates and supports the Network for standardized procedures regarding the removal of custody/parental care of neglected and abused children. This Network was created under the initiative of the Minors Department of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the cooperation of the 3rd and 4th Health Prefecture of Macedonia-Thrace and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while its contribution is of surmount importance.
The “ARSIS Home”, as the only structure for the temporary and urgent accommodation in Northern Greece that hosts more than 70 children at risk every year, is an ultimate priority for ARSIS. Thus, we hope that this structure will also be appreciated and supported financially by all citizens, but also by small and large businesses and charitable foundations of the country.
In other circumstances, there will be a huge gap in the already burdened field of child protection, a gap being covered by “ARSIS Home” since 2007 up to now.
You can also help with a financial donation so that our shelter can continue to offer protection and care to neglected, abused and trafficked children.
Everyone’s contribution is precious in order to ensure that the necessary provisions in the daily function of the shelter. Offering voluntary services, kinds (food, clothing items, equipment) and financial donations, contributes to maintain the high quality services of the shelter and to continuously enhance the living conditions of the children that are hosted there.
For further information please contact us at the following phone number or fax; 2310 692232 and at infoxenonas@arsis.gr. Focal point: Marianna Kolovou.
You may help by offering a donation in the following ways;
- https://www.giveandfund.com/giveandfund/project/arsis-spiti-thessaloniki
- With a direct deposit in the bank account for donations of ARSIS Thessaloniki in ALPHA BANK with the following IBAN: GR57 0140 7090 7090 0200 2009 353 (BIC: CRBAGRAAXXX) referring Spiti.
