ATHENS – The Municipality of Athens, via the Reception and Solidarity Centre and in cooperation with the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency has launched a major action which foresees the distribution of backpacks filled with basic essentials for the winter for the relief of the homeless and their protection from difficult weather conditions. This action is taking place alongside the efforts to get the homeless off the streets and shelter them in new and safe facilities provided by the municipality.

On Thursday evening, Street Work teams distributed the backpacks to homeless people, each of which contained sleeping bags, blankets, jackets, water resistant trousers, thermos flasks, flashlights and whistles.

In a statement, the mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis underlined that “they may live on the streets but they are not alone. The Street Work teams of the Reception and Solidarity Centre are at the side of our homeless fellow citizens”.