It was 5 December 2012, when we first celebrated the International Volunteer Day, almost 2 months after GloVo’s official launch. And how we did that? By throwing a great volunteer party for our first 100 registered volunteers!

But this year things were different. With more than 2000 registered volunteers and unlimited energy, we couldn’t organize something less challenging than «Sparks by GloVo». Imagine more than 150 volunteers carrying out 7 volunteer service actions at the same time in Athens and celebrating their success with a great party at Six D.O.G.S afterwards. Oh, and of course not to mention the flash mob at the Monastiraki square!

alltogether

So, at 10:00, more than 150 young girls and boys gathered at Six D.O.G.S and splitted into teams. The first one was led by Vassilis Eftychiakos and Anna-Maria Mplini:

«Six D.O.G.S: One venue, many actions.This was our base, the base of SPARKS. It was the place where we all met in the morning, the place where everything started and everything finished with our big party at night, after a beautiful and amazing day! So, in our base we delivered first aid lessons for all our volunteers and people who were passing by, we collected boxes containing clothes, shoes and toys for those in need. Moreover, we took a walk around Monastiraki square, asking random people questions about volunteerism and raising awareness, while we cleaned the area out of rubbish. At the end of the day we were all really tired. But suddenly i heard a volunteer say he wished every day was an International Volunteer Day. I felt joy, satisfaction and hope. Each one of us has a SPARK inside. Let’s get together and ignite the biggest «fire» in human history!»

schools_clothes_signs

At the same time and few blocks away, Kleopatra Gkixana and her team were creating colorful signs with positive messages, in order to place them in different parts of the city:

«I love volunteer actions and i felt very happy that, during the International Volunteer Day, i had the chance to move one step further and take part in «Sparks by GloVo». I had the responsibility of organizing and coordinating a team of almost 20 volunteers, who worked together and created 41 colorful signs with positive messages about life and volunteerism, which we later placed in different parts of Athens. I am very proud, because we carried out our mission successfully and also had much fun! Thank you GloVo for trusting me to do that!»

cleaning_Athens

Another team, led by Ilia Galouzidi, visited the Therapeutic Riding Association of Greece:

«Fifteen volunteers arrived at the Therapeutic Riding Association full of enthusiasm and eager to learn about this very innovative therapeutic action and introduce it to children and teenagers with physical, mental, sensorial and psychological problems. We had the chance to help maintain the equestrian track clean and offer help to the physiotherapists during the lessons they delivered to the children. We left the place full of knowledge and clearly more sensitive and familiar with the challenges that children with special needs face.»

On the other hand, a small team of 7 creative GloVo volunteers created the first ever eco-graffiti in Athens in «Technopolis».

firstaid_ecograffiti_askingpeople

Areti Chamopoulou and Vasilis Manolis along with 20 more volunteers headed towards Omonoia, in order to plant trees and plants in 2 big pedestrian streets:

«Planting trees and small plants at the center of Athens makes you realize how much you need to have a «greener» everyday life and how much the city center is missing this feeling. This is why almost 20 volunteers visited Omonoia and tried to make it more beautiful, by planting more than 100 small plants and trees. It was a really hard thing to do, but it was surely worth it! We all left with a huge smile on our faces for the rest of the day!»

Also,  a group of 30 volunteers visited the «Koinoniki Merimna Moschatou» elderly care facility, where they decorated the Christmas tree, danced and singed and also painted walls, benches, doors and columns.

planting_kmerimna

Last but not least, Vasia Koutsiana and Savina Koussoula visited, along with some more volunteers, the 2nd High School of Pallini, where in cooperation with students they created Christmas cards and ornaments. On 19 December they paid a visit, together with other volunteers, to the «Marepis Elderly Care Facility»:

“Today was a day of joy, emotion and fun for us and the people living at the Marepis elderly Care facility. We visited them, sang Christmas songs and handed them Christmas cards and ornaments created by the students of the 2nd High School of Pallini a few days ago. We read the wishes of the children to each one of them, talked about last Christmas and decorated their Christmas tree. The Christmas spirit calls for action and solidarity for those in need. And even though we offered those people all these things, we were surely the ones that received the most.”

sparks_marepi

To sum everything up, 5 December 2013 is a day we will never forget. All the feelings, the funny moments, the problems, the difficulties we faced, will always remind us that changing the world is neither easy nor simple and it can’t be done in a day or two. This year we celebrated the International Volunteer Day, by showing what a group of energetic and passionate young individuals can achieve, when they have love in their hearts and are committed to give their 100% in order to make other people’s lives easier and happier. Next year? Who knows…

Happy #glovosparks International Volunteer Day!

The GloVo Team

P.S.1 : Kudos to Tina Selinopoulou for the Media Support and for making this effort «go viral»!

P.S.2 : Big thanks to all our sponsors and partners! Great to have you with us!

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