As the ongoing financial crisis in Greece continues to impact the country’s wider population, affecting all ages and social groups, one such group that has arguably felt its dire consequences above all else are the children of the less fortunate.

With a sense of heightened responsibility, the essDOCS Athens office recently teamed up with one of the greatest charitable initiatives of its kind – SOS Children’s Villages Greece – a foundation dedicated to supporting children who are orphaned, homeless or abandoned by providing them with a new and permanent home in a dedicated community, or ‘Children’s Village’. 

Our Athens Team's decision to support this excellent charity was driven by SOS Children’s Villages unique principles and values, which seek to empower the most vulnerable members of society and engage them to meet the challenges of today.

What sets this truly admirable initiative apart from similar children’s charities is the distinct village/community approach, meaning that children grow up in a family environment, within the village, and are supported on a continuous and consistent basis from childhood until early adulthood, or until they are properly prepared, morally, socially and professionally to live on their own. The family approach at each SOS Children’s Village is based on four core principles: every child needs a mother, every child will grow up happier with brothers and sisters, every child needs a physical house to call ‘home,’ and every child must live within a supportive wider ‘community’ environment.

Furthermore, SOS Children’s Villages Greece has extended its programmes since 2011 to provide for more than 1,500 families living in poverty across the entire country, offering parental counseling, child psychological and psychotherapeutic support, educational assistance, and material assistance (food, clothes, etc.), with the aim to strengthen the bonds within these families and prevent any further abandonment of children.

The essDOCS Athens Team’s ongoing work with SOS Children’s Villages will be centred on charitable giving as well as awareness-raising initiatives, supported by direct charitable contributions on a personal and company level, fundraising initiatives at essDOCS-hosted events, essDOCS Team volunteer work on-site at SOS Children’s Villages locations, and raising awareness via digital channels such as essDOCS social media, the essDOCS website, newsletters and more.

Our Athens office officially kicks off its support for SOS Children’s Villages at our upcoming Posidonia 2016 cocktail party, taking place in Piraeus on June 2. During the course of the event, representatives of SOS Children’s Villages will join members of our Athens Team to collect charitable donations for this great initiative!

Watch this space for further updates and be sure to Click & Donate to SOS Villages Greece online!