Today mark two weeks since the disastrous fires in Kineta and East Attica. Losses are unprecedented and irremediable for many of our fellowmen. Greek Scouts keep doing their utmost to offer whatever they can to alleviate the pain of the people who experienced this calamity. At the same time they are close to the competent authorities offering their services and they try to motivate, as well as organize, the citizens willing to volunteer. On the Monday of the fire outbreak, the safety of 140 scout members at the campsites of Mati, Aghios Andreas and Aghia Marina was of top priority. Taking immediate action and in accordance with their training, the Adult Scout Leaders led the kids in safe places and in cooperation with Attica's Regional Districts, the Central Administration of SEP (Scouts of Greece) and the Municipality of Athens, all of the participants returned to their families safe and sound in that very evening. Since that Monday evening, a Scout crisis management group as well as dozens of Scout volunteers have been coordinated, declaring their willingness to help. Doing their duty, the Scouts of Greece have undertaken the initiatives listed below: • They have collected essentials and food from all over Greece. At the scout campsite in Aghios Andreas, more than 9 trucks of products arrived and those products were distributed to “Lyreion Institution”, to the Social Kitchen “The Other Human”, to the structure in Nea Makri, to the people hosted in the 5th Campsite of Aghios Andreas, to the Scout Spot in Rafina and to the inhabitants of the fire affected areas. • On a daily basis, more than 90 volunteers operate at the support spots (Mati, Nea Makri, Rafina, Aghios Andreas, Kineta, Distribution Center of the District of Attica). • More than 60 shiftings, during which essentials and volunteers are transferred to the affected areas, are daily performed. • They have delivered a huge amount of medicines to the structures of Rafina and Nea Makri. • They have collected and distributed food and water to the firefighters of Kineta and Megara. • They participate to the 24-hour shifts along with the rest of the voluntary teams in Kineta. • They have performed a door-to-door distribution of food to the fire affected people of Kineta. • They have delivered feed to the animal welfare organizations of the affected areas. • They have assured sponsorships from companies aiming at satisfying and fulfilling the needs of the affected, in a more effective way. • They are getting prepared to offer their support to the kids of the fire affected areas through creative activities. Citizens and companies addressed the Scouts Since the beginning, the call center of the Scouts of Greece continuously accepted calls from Greek and Cypriot citizens addressing the Scouts in order to offer either material or voluntary assistance. Apart from the hundreds of anonymous offers made by our fellowmen, the offers made by private companies which trusted the Scouts so as to provide the fire affected with essentials and to offer any type of assistance, are equally important: • AVIS offered 3 closed type vehicles so that the Scouts transfer the cartons containing the essentials anywhere needed, as well as 1 staff transfer vehicle. • Softex has offered 4 pallets of stationery. • Eurochartiki S.A. has offered a truck of stationery delivered by a vehicle of the company to the structure of Nea Makri. • Dimitriadis company has offered 300 torches. • The electrical appliances store “Hairetakis” of Kissamos in Chania has offered torches as well as batteries. • The Rescue Team of Pieria has offered essentials. • The Municipality of Kifissia made available to the Scouts 3 big trucks for the transfer of the products collected. Not only for the following days but for as long as necessary, the Scouts of Greece undertaking similar initiatives and actions are going to be standing by the affected people and the competent authorities, proving in practice that solidarity and individual initiatives may be the basis on which a better future will be entrenched. Press release translated from Greek to English by Maria Neofotistou.