Problem addressed
Our goals:
To respond to the high poverty rates of our region with the establishment the 1st Food Bank in the Western Region of Greece (December 2023), providing surplus and donated food both to people in rural areas but also to social organisations and municipalities.
To provide free hygienic/ orthopedic goods otherwise very expensive to buy for people, who are not eligible to receive social benefits or pension.
To offer free health and safety advice improving their living conditions
To expand the number of people we deliver our goods and services, signing new memorandum of agreements with municipalities of the Region (8 out of 19 so far) in order to reach out to more isolated communities.
To offer more customized services and products according to their age and health conditions.
Overall, Co2gether covers basic needs of 1,500 vulnerable citizens, based in remoted areas: poor housing and home conditions as well as lack of food.
Innovative solution
Our holistic and innovative approach is based on responding not only to the needs of the main beneficiary but at the same time supporting all members of the residency, as well as offering tailored made solutions such as construction services (i.e. bathroom repairs, tiles placement, household equipment). We constantly adapt our services to meet the specified needs of beneficiaries who are unable to provide for themselves. Our team works in close connexion with public services. Co2gether has signed 7 Memorandum of Understanding with municipalities in the area of Region of Western Greece.
Specialized staff and volunteers cover the Western Region of Greece (with highest rate of poverty between 13 regions) and its 19 municipalities and social organisations. Many of our beneficiaries are people with low income/ no pension and chronic/ temporary diseases or with mobility issues. To respond to their extensive dietary requirements, we have created the “Mediterranean Diet Food Basket” (M.D.S.F.B.) to support them in a montly basis both physically and emotionally with food reach in vitamins, calcium, iron and fibers. The Basket includes food such as ready canned meals (fish, meat), milk, canned vegetables and dried fruit, legumes, honey, extra virgin olive oil, whole meal bread and spaghetti, peanut butter, etc. Also, we provide psychological and social support, sanitary aid and medical equipment (wheelchairs and medical beds) donated by Swiss and French NGOs and NPOs, to our uninsured and deprived beneficiaries and a great number of construction services on house renovation.
Key results and benefits
In the Region of Western Greece, the Non Profit Organisation has signed 7 Memorandum of Understanding with 1 urban and 6 rural municipalities in order to tackle poverty. Co2gether supports vulnerable populations living in remote areas and where public social services cannot easily have access. Till now over 1000 ESF beneficiaries have used our services. In complementarity and in collaboration with public social services Co2gether offers food, sanitary aid, mobility equipment for disabled or the elderly, training on safety at home and construction services (e.g. connexion with volunteers to build a bathroom, to put accessibility ramps for home. Both public and NPO services work jointly to provide for example a new bathroom: NPO and its sponsors and volunteers offer the material and municipality's plumber offers his services. Thus civic engagement strengthens state institutions, and effective state institutions create an environment in which civic engagement is more likely to thrive. Since summer 2023, this model of social innovation has been awarded twice in Greece (as the most promising innovative idea regarding social cohesion in the Mediterannean - Summer 2023 and as a unique synergy model in Greece (2024).
Potential for mainstreaming
The fact that the state-society model has been awarded twice since summer 2023 in Greece and in the Mediterannean, we may think that it has a strong potential for mainstreaming. Also, the fact that 7 municipalities (1 urban and 6 rural)are actively engaged to this initiative offer a replicable and transferable pattern to other municipalities and other countries where State-society synergies are not very strong.
