Offene Arme

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Offene Arme A central information point for the Offene A**e e.V (formerly Chios Eastern Shore Response Team ) The work involved is complex and ever-changing.

Offene A**e is the only remaining NGO in Chios with a Free Shop that continuously provides Non-Food Items (NFIs) to refugees and asylum seekers. NFIs include essentials like diapers, blankets, clothes, shower gel, shoes , razors, toothpaste. We distribute these and so many other supplies through:

• Landing Packs of essentials that can be distributed to the refugees when they first arrive to the quarantine area .

• A Free Shop where refugees can choose their own clothes and hygiene items, returning a small sense of normalcy;

• A Pop-up Shop that is set up just outside the refugee camp for Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) .



• And many, many other projects and activities – like transporting people from the camp to medical appointments, supplying skin infection packs to those afflicted with scabies, creating baby packs for babies born in the camp, etc. Different groups are brought together in a constantly changing environment, but with a single goal of meeting the essential needs and providing services for displaced people from war,prosecution,climate change and other various reasons. For more information, please visit our website: www.cesrt.org

Yesterday, 12 people died in two separate shipwrecks off the coasts of Lesvos and Samos while trying to seek safety in G...
20/10/2026

Yesterday, 12 people died in two separate shipwrecks off the coasts of Lesvos and Samos while trying to seek safety in Greece.

Our thoughts are with them, their friends, families, and loved ones.

Swipe to see our September in numbers ➡️ **e
16/10/2026

Swipe to see our September in numbers ➡️ **e

Weekly update : 5-9 OctoberThis week’s highlight came from a very young customer who walked into our shop and switched e...
16/10/2026

Weekly update : 5-9 October

This week’s highlight came from a very young customer who walked into our shop and switched effortlessly between English, Arabic, French, Italian and a few words of German - speaking to each of our volunteer in their own language. Before leaving, he asked us to remember his name, and told us to keep an eye on French television in a few years, as he intended to be playing football for PSG. We wish him all the best in chasing his dream, and we hope to see him on the pitch at the Parc des Princes one day. 🌟

This week also marked an important transition in our distributions. We welcomed 39 men as new arrivals through our Free Shop, as well as 23 people with refugee status, including 6 women.

After wrapping up our men’s autumn distribution with 116 men this week, we were excited to officially start our annual winter distribution. We are starting with women and children, and so far 5 women, 1 boy, and one very energetic baby boy have come. As temperatures on the island drop quickly, especially at night, making sure families have the warm and essential items they need is at the heart of what we do right now. ☺️

We also provided diapers for 1 baby boy, delivered 2 UAM packs for boys to Zeuxis, donated 2 pallets of men’s clothes to Christian Refugee Relief as well as 84 items - men’s, women’s and children’s clothes - to the school for students with special educational needs - EEEEK of Chios.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Sisters of the North for their donation of 120 pairs of socks and many hygiene products for our baby baskets - a wonderful contribution for supporting new mothers living in Vial. 💛

Thank you for your support, we look forward to welcoming many more families through our doors this week!

What a team! So grateful for these amazing volunteers 🤩 **e
08/10/2026

What a team! So grateful for these amazing volunteers 🤩 **e

Weekly update : 28 September - 02 OctoberIt was a busy week for the team, as we welcomed 11 new arrivals, supported 128 ...
06/10/2026

Weekly update : 28 September - 02 October

It was a busy week for the team, as we welcomed 11 new arrivals, supported 128 men through our Autumn distribution, and assisted 10 men and 1 woman with refugee status before they left the island to continue their journey.

We also prepared a baby basket and stroller for a woman who is 9 months pregnant with a baby boy. As she was leaving for Athens this week, we wanted to make sure she had everything she needed to welcome her baby very soon on the mainland. 💙

On the other side, we donated 2310 items to Politecnoi, continuing to support local communities across the island. We were also very happy to donate 183 items - including adult diapers, shoes, sanitary pads and board games, to EEEEK of Chios, a school supporting 30 students with severe special educational needs. Through this donation, we are proud to contribute to the students’ daily well-being. ☺️

As we look forward to another busy week - finishing our Autumn distribution for men and starting the winter distribution for women and children - we want to thank all our current volunteers for their hard work, our ongoing donors and our past volunteers who continue to support us every day. Ευχαριστώ πολύ ! 🫶🏻

Weekly Report : 21-25 SeptemberThis week, one of our customers told us that he always feels welcomed here and that our S...
30/09/2026

Weekly Report : 21-25 September

This week, one of our customers told us that he always feels welcomed here and that our Shop feels like a place where everyone is accepted. Beyond the clothes and essential items we provide, creating a space where people feel respected and comfortable is at the heart of what we do.

18 people came to visit our Free Shop: 8 of which were new arrivals, including 1 baby boy who received diapers and a toy 🦖, and 2 women; 9 people who had just received their refugee cards after their asylum-seeking processes were accepted; and unfortunately, 1 woman whose process had been rejected. They all came one last time to our shop before continuing their journey.

At the same time, we started our distribution of autumn clothes for men, with 56 men coming to collect some warmer clothes to face the colder nights. We will continue welcoming them until all the men in Vial have had the opportunity to come and shop again.

The week was also marked by many generous donations. We were very lucky to receive clothes, pillows, bedsheets, underwear and towels through our amazing partnership with Christian Refugee Relief 💜. We were especially happy to end the week with their visit here in Chios, giving them the opportunity to see our operations on the ground and witness directly the importance and impact of their donations.

Requests for condoms were very quickly met thanks to the generosity of our long-term volunteer Jane, whom we would like to thank once again for responding so quickly to our needs. ☺️

On the other side, we delivered 2 packs for unaccompanied minors to Zeuxis and donated 8.891 summer items for women, children and babies to our partner Polytecnoi, helping support local communities on the island.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who continues to support us every day: our precious volunteers, partners, donors, and everyone who is part of this journey with us! 🫶🏻 **e

Weekly update : 14-18 SeptemberThis week, we had the pleasure of welcoming a large family to the shop. It is always a jo...
24/09/2026

Weekly update : 14-18 September

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming a large family to the shop. It is always a joy to have children visiting us, and we love being able to bring a little extra positivity to their day by offering them toys and cuddly animals alongside the essential items they need. The family left with plenty of items, while the children were especially excited to choose dolls and footballs. 💝

On the operations side, we welcomed 50 new arrivals to our Free Shop, including 5 women, 2 girls and 1 boy. We completed our final distribution of summer items with 9 women coming, and we welcomed 4 customers in our Local Shop including 2 women. Finally, we finished preparing our autumn distribution for men, getting ready for the weeks ahead.

We also donated many boxes of brand new baby and kids summer clothes kindly offered to us by Inditex, to our partner, Politecnoi, to support local communities in Chios.

This week, we were also very happy to receive shoes from our numerous dedicated monthly donors. Alongside these donations, and in response to the high number of new arrivals visiting the Free Shop over the past few weeks, our dedicated volunteers on the ground, Suzanne and Jane, took the initiative to donate deodorants, as many of our customers are in need of essential hygiene products. We are incredibly grateful for their support! 💜

As every three weeks, we also met families outside Vial to bring them diapers and wipes for their babies. It is always a pleasure to see these families again and watch their little ones grow so quickly. These regular visits are also an opportunity to maintain our connection with the families and continue supporting them as their children grow. 🐣

Thank you all and see you next week for more updates! **e

Swipe to read our August Impact Report! 💫➡️ **e
15/09/2026

Swipe to read our August Impact Report! 💫➡️ **e

Weekly update: 7 - 11 September This week, we received a message that touched us deeply. A woman wrote to let us know sh...
15/09/2026

Weekly update: 7 - 11 September

This week, we received a message that touched us deeply. A woman wrote to let us know she had safely arrived in Germany with her two sons, that she and her family are settling in well, and that our support during their time in the camp had made a real difference to them. Messages like these are always a powerful reminder of why this work matters.

On the operations side, we welcomed 34 newly arrived men and 2 women into the Free Shop. We also continued and finished our final distribution of summer items, welcoming 20 women. We are planning now our next steps for the future weeks ahead !

In the Local Shop, 12 men and 5 women came to shop one last time before leaving the island to continue rebuilding their lives elsewhere. We also welcomed 2 men whose asylum requests were unfortunately rejected. Facing an uncertain future with very few options, they now find themselves in an especially precarious situation so we made sure they left with essential items to help them face the difficult times ahead.

We were also contacted to help one homeless men in Chios, to whom we provided tents and clothing.

Finally, after delivering a package to an unaccompanied minor through our partner Zeuxis, we received wonderful news as one of the pregnant women we had been supporting gave birth to a baby boy. We rapidly provided a baby basket so that mother and baby would have everything they needed. Supporting new families is always one of our favorite parts of the work we do. 💛

Once again, a huge thank you to Humansnation for their generous donation. See you next week for more updates ! **e ☀️

Today we meet our dear Willemiek who just finished her fourth time volunteering with Offene A**e! 🌻 **e
14/09/2026

Today we meet our dear Willemiek who just finished her fourth time volunteering with Offene A**e! 🌻 **e

Address

Chios
Chios

Telephone

+302271032979

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