We aim to maintain safe, dignified and creative spaces, open to everyone, offering informal educational activities, psychosocial support and clothes distribution.
Alpha Centre
Alpha Centre is located in Vathy (the main town of Samos) and has been a valuable community space for refugees and asylum seekers on Samos over the last eight years. At Alpha Centre people can find games, art activities, tea and coffee, a library and printing services.
Alpha Land
Alpha Land is a five-minute walk from the Controlled Closed Access Centre (CCAC), the camp located in Zervou, which opened in September 2021. This is the main educational space with English language classes taking place Monday to Friday in 3 different levels. There are also informal English classes which centre around games and conversation practice. Alpha Land also offers computer classes, CV making, gardening and outdoor sports such as football and volleyball.
Free Shop
Located next to the Alpha Centre, the Free Shop promotes dignity and choice as people receive much-needed clothing items. We carry out two mass distributions during the year: a summer distribution and winter distribution.
If you have non-food items that you wish to donate, please send an email to logistics@samosvolunteers.org.
Women’s groups
Women living in the CCAC have shared that they feel unsafe, afraid to leave their rooms and are at risk of verbal violence and sexual harassment. At both of our community centres we offer women's groups, acting as a safe place for women and a trusted route to support from other organisations and services.
Support to the LGBTQI+ Group
Samos Volunteers supports the Samos LGBTQI+ Group; a community of refugees and allies on Samos who advocate for LGBTQI+ rights worldwide and for the protection of asylum seekers self-identifying as queer.
The project aims to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by LGBTQI+ people in the Samos camp and facilitate the referral pathway for refugees in need of legal support and protection.