The HOME Project receives 2-year support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

Athens, July 14th, 2022:

In an effort to support the large number of unaccompanied refugee children in Greece outside long-term accommodation structures, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF, www.snf.org) provides a 2-year grant to The HOME Project (www.homeproject.org) recognizing the impact of the holistic child protection model implemented in its 14 shelters in Athens.

This generous support enables The HOME Project to sustain the operation of a shelter for 24 teenage unaccompanied boys aged 13 to 18 years old at the area of Kypseli in Athens, over a period of two years. The HOME Project provides a holistic network of child protection services through an individual development plan addressing the needs of every child, including physical and mental health, educational, social, life-skills and legal support.

The teenage boys accommodated in the shelter participate in the daily life of the neighborhood and benefit from The HOME Project’s community building efforts with members of the local community. The ultimate goal is to achieve integration enabling children and youth to become active members of society and create employment opportunities.

Sofia Kouvelaki, CEO of The HOME Project says, “We are grateful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for being next to us in our effort to provide the necessary child protection framework for lone refugee children, enabling them to be integrated into society, become active citizens and create a future for themselves. Ensuring equal access to opportunities for these children and youth is a prerequisite for the progress and development of a better society for everyone.”

“No child should be without a family and a home, without access to education and health care, or without the support system every kid needs to grow and thrive. We are proud to partner with The HOME Project in supporting so many teenagers in meeting their basic needs with dignity and proud to see them enroll in and excel at school, with strong roots in this strong community,” said SNF Senior Program Officer Eleni Agouridi.

Notes to Editors

Stavros Niarchos Foundation (www.snf.org)

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. SNF funds organizations and projects worldwide that aim to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also supports projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving public welfare.

The HOME Project (www.homeproject.org)

The HOME Project (THP) is a nonprofit organization created in 2016 to care for unaccompanied children whose families and lives are wrecked by war and persecution, empowering them to persevere and grow into active citizens. We rescue children from the streets, camps, police stations, detention centers and welcome them in the safety of our homes in Athens. In 5 years of operation, we have created 14 shelters with the capacity to accommodate 270 children where we have provided a holistic network of child protection services through an individual development plan addressing the general and particular needs of each child, including mental health, educational, social, pedagogical, legal support and social integration services. The HOME Project has supported more than 800 children and created 170 jobs for both the local and refugee community.

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