The Greek Caravan of Solidarity is a Greek non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1992 by three Greek Members of the European Parliament, (MEP’s)  Alekos Alavanos, Paraskevas Avgerinos, and Panagiotis Lambrias.

The idea for its creation was born when the clouds of war were gathering in our region. When the civil war in Bosnia broke out in Sarajevo.

The aim was to transform  the concerns, sensitivities and the willingness  of our fellow citizens to help, into concrete  action. To help  the innocent victims of warfare, especially the children.

Thousands of our fellow citizens supported our efforts, trusted us and embraced our cause. The Greek Caravan of Solidarity  expanded  its aims  to include  the provision of aid to victims  of natural and other disasters.

The Greek Caravan of Solidarity began its journey and laden  with the trust and good wishes  of thousands of our fellow citizens and managed, after a long journey, to arrive almost at  the other end  of the world.

The Caravan  offered hope and smiles to  more than 25,000 orphaned children who were victims of war in Bosnia, Palestine, and orphans of the civil war in Lebanon. Also victims of  the tsunami in Sri Lanka, earthquake in Haiti, the  orphans left by the AIDS epidemic in Uganda, the uprooted children of Somalia,and more.

When the Greek Caravan of Solidarity started out  27 years ago (1992), we could  not have imagined that there would ever be a need to ask for help for the impoverished families of our own country. However,  now that the economic crisis  has taken on the dimensions of a humanitarian disaster, we have also created bonds of  social solidarity in Greece.  And so, for the last seven years, through our programme of  "economic adoption", we are now helping orphaned children in Greece.

The Greek Caravan of Solidarity was the first to bring to Greece an institution already well established in European countries. In 2002 they opened their own philanthropic Charity Shop “SECOND HAND”.

Through the  establishment of its Charity Shop,  the Caravan has succeeded in increasing the  voluntary participation  and offers of citizens. It is now in a position to widen existing   programmes and, at the same time, promote  and carry forward programmes for economic  adoptions and other new endeavors.

After more than two decades of activities abroad and in Greece, the Greek Caravan of Solidarity has come to believe that of  great significance to people, apart from economic help, is the moral and psychological support which they receive. The confirmation  of this has become even more important to us in  approaching people with sincerity and discretion.

It is of great importance to those people who have lost  a loved one, to feel that someone thinks about  them, someone helps them, and someone  cares and asks about them.

The economic "adoption" of a child,  or any other  contribution,  the support of our shop and, of course, the distribution  of our programmes to friends and acquaintances, will be of great help because

YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE PAST,

BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE.

YOU TOO CAN HELP AN ORPHANED CHILD