Greek charity work is something Villa Hurmuses believes in.  That is why we are proud to support the non-profit organization called Emfasis. Emfasis was started by Greek citizens living abroad. They work with volunteers in Athens to respond to various social needs during the Greek economic crisis.

The organization relies 100 percent on private donations. More than 68,000 volunteers have participated in various project out on the streets of Greece.  Emfasis coordinates socio-educational missions that aim to help people who are socially vulnerable or socially excluded.

We sat down with Maria Karra and Katerina Velliou of Emfasis for this special blog post to bring more awareness to the great Greek charity work they are accomplishing.

What is your strategy and how has it changed over the years? 

Our strategy was to provide immediate relief to the vulnerable people in Athens and hopefully empower them enough to stand on their own feet. However, we realized that it was becoming a rather long-term goal, given the fact that the financial crisis kept – returning with a vengeance – in lots of different forms and shapes and thus affecting any sincere effort by the affected citizens. We also enlarged the geographical coverage within Attica, and we now operate regularly in many other suburbs including Piraeus.

What are your goals for 2016? 

Focus on families at the verge of homelessness, intensified support for the minors, youth and children affected by the crisis, expand the program of temporary housing for homeless, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers. Furthermore, our Social Support Corner will continue to provide with weekly advisory on crucial matters such as employment, legal, social etc. as well as run a Social Grocery/Clothing shop once a month.

What qualities do you look for in the volunteers who apply to Emfasis? 

Dedication, selflessness, passion for solidarity, punctuality, fresh ideas and positive energy

What were the results of your efforts in 2015? How many individuals did you positively affect? 

We touch peoples’ lives in many different ways and this is not easy to translate in numbers. Daily, we come into contact with more than 50 men and women, children and elderly. We sometimes wonder what is the exact effect of our presence, guidance and support. We then find out by the people we assist, that our presence is more valuable than we will ever know. We become the last point of contact with the rest of the society that they feel alienated from. They cherish the fact that someone is always there for them, purely because they care, not because they need to fulfill some type of duty or job. Our genuine wish to stand by them is felt throughout and simply in this way, they experience a very positive state of being.

How do you use social media for social fundraising? Has it helped in promoting Emfasis’s efforts?

We are a small and relatively unknown organization with limited means and lack of strong branding awareness. So, that is a reason we consider social media fundraising as a critically necessary tool. Social media is great for our means due to its cost effectiveness and its relatively user friendly applications. It has helped Emfasis efforts and we hope that this will improve even more with stronger campaigns.

Thank you, Maria and Katerina for your time and for the great Greek charity work you and your team accomplishes during this crisis.  We at Villa Hurmuses are very proud to support you.

For our blog readers:  The success stories truly touch our heart.  You can find several short Emfasis success stories by visiting our Giving Back web page. We encourage you to visit their website and continue to follow them on social media channels.

Do you support any Greek charity work at this time? Comment below and tell us about what they do. We’ll be sure to visit their site/social media to spread the word.