Greece
Greece exemplifies Global Brigades’ Holistic Model in an urban migrant setting, advancing refugee integration through health, economic, and social inclusion. In 2018, at the invitation of the UN International Organization for Migration and with the support of the Greek Health Department, we began our Medical Program to build trust and understand the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. In 2020, we established our Polyclinic in Athens — one of the only licensed clinics for refugees and migrants — providing free, consistent, and comprehensive healthcare.
Recognizing that long-term integration requires more than healthcare, we also provide financial education and economic development through our Business Program, alongside legal support and rights awareness through our Legal Empowerment Program. Together, these initiatives foster stability, resilience, and inclusion, ensuring that displaced populations have the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and opportunity.
- Operating one of the only licensed refugee and migrant clinics in Athens, providing free and comprehensive healthcare services
- Supporting refugee and migrant families with financial education and micro-enterprise development to build stable livelihoods
- Delivering legal empowerment programs that provide rights awareness and support integration into Greek society
- Partnering with the Ministry of Health, NGOs, and refugee/migrant communities to create coordinated, sustainable solutions
- Addressing extreme health, economic, and social disparities between refugees, asylum seekers, and the host population
- Advancing long-term refugee integration by combining healthcare, economic empowerment, and legal support into a holistic approach
What You’ll Do During a Brigade in Greece
When your Brigade Chapter travels to Greece, you’ll work alongside local doctors at the Urban Clinic in Athens on an appointment basis to:
- Provide primary health care for asylum seekers
- Work in intake
- Shadow physicians
- Provide health education workshops
- Make sure patients’ medical records are updated into our databases
Medical referrals are provided to specialists and the public health system for needs beyond the scope of the Brigade.
To develop an understanding of the unique needs and sensitivities of asylum seekers, refugees, and other vulnerable populations, you’ll receive intensive training prior to and during your Brigade. Your participation ensures they have access to regular medical care and consults with the pediatricians, gynecologists, and ophthalmologists of the GB Athens Clinic.
Unlike some of our other program countries, there will be ample time to participate in cultural activities in the surrounding area of Athens.
Background About Our Work in Greece
In 2018, Global Brigades was invited to Greece to explore filling a void for health care services for the Refugee Populations.
After the 2015 European Refugee Crisis, Greece became the main entry point to Europe for populations fleeing war and persecution. The vast majority of asylum seekers are stuck in transit in a country where many international health agencies lost funding to provide care and pulled out.
Our team traveled to Greece, validated the need, and grew enthusiastic about the enormous potential of adapting our tenants of development work. We clearly saw how our vision of our holistic model, empowerment of community members, and increased collaboration with local government and NGOs in this unique setting could support the needs of asylum seekers.
In 2019, we hired a local staff, and formed an official partnership with KEELPNO (the Greek health department) to support a program previously responsible for coordinating and providing healthcare services in all camps known as PHILOS2.
With our Pilots Medical Brigades, we were able to provide much-needed care in camps outside of Athens. This experience, and the strong collaboration with other local NGOs and the Athens Municipality, enabled us to identify the need for consistent regular care for refugee populations living in Athens.
Consistent with our programmatic methodology, we started implementing Medical Brigades to build trust and gather insight to develop a unique holistic model for refugees and asylum seekers aspiring for integration.
In 2020, we established our own stable Polyclinic in Athens to provide free, consistent, and broad health coverage to vulnerable populations. The Polyclinic, located in the center of Athens, receives patients referred by other NGOs, residents of refugee camps, and shelters for unaccompanied minors for regular check-ups, tests, and vaccinations. Volunteers directly support the permanent clinic to address the need for stable and consistent medical attention.
In 2024, Global Brigades partnered with the Seeds of Humanity Clinic, where patients, mostly refugees and asylum seekers, receive access to dental services such as cleanings, extractions, fillings, fluoride treatments, and regular check-ups, which can significantly help improve their oral health. Volunteers’ participation directly supports this partnership and permanent clinic to address the need for stable and consistent dental attention.
7-Day Sample Brigade Schedule
Planning your Brigade in Greece? Check out this sample schedule outlining the typical 7-day trip your Chapter will attend.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up & Transport to Lodging Facility | Breakfast | Breakfast | ||||
| 9:00am | Medical Presentation | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Depart for Airport | |
| 10:00am | Clinic Day | Cultural Activity | Clinic Day | Preparation for Health Education Workshop | Health Education Workshop (shelter) | ||
| 11:00am | |||||||
| 12:00pm | |||||||
| 1:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
| 2:00pm | Intro to Refugee Crisis | Clinic Day | Kypseli & Business Clients Visit / GB Holistic Model Component | Clinic Day | Free Time | ||
| 3:00pm | Settle In | Athens Tour | |||||
| 4:00pm | In-Country Orientation & Introduction to Global Brigades | ||||||
| 5:00pm | DI Training & Input | DI Input | DI Input | ||||
| 6:00pm | Language Class | Rest Time | |||||
| 7:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 8:00pm | Settle In | Clinic Recap & Huddle | Clinic Recap & Huddle | Clinic Recap & Huddle | Clinic Recap & Huddle | Final Huddle |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up & Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Settle In |
| 4:00pm | In-Country Orientation & Introduction to Global Brigades |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Settle In |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:00am | Medical Presentation |
| 10:00am | Clinic Day |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | Intro to Refugee Crisis |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | DI Training & Input |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Clinic Recap & Huddle |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Cultural Activity |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | Clinic Day |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | DI Input |
| 6:00pm | Language Class |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Clinic Recap & Huddle |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Clinic Day |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | Kypseli & Business Clients Visit / GB Holistic Model Component |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Clinic Recap & Huddle |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Preparation for Health Education Workshop |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | Clinic Day |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | DI Input |
| 6:00pm | Rest Time |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Clinic Recap & Huddle |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 10:00am | Health Education Workshop |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm | Free Time |
| 3:00pm | Athens Tour |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Final Huddle |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:00am | Depart for Airport |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
Donation Goals and Fundraising
Your fundraising doesn’t just get you there. It powers the impact you’ll create, fueling equity, dignity, and lasting change.
To participate in a Brigade, each volunteer commits to meeting a Donation Goal through fundraising with their Chapter. This is not a fee for a trip. It’s a contribution to Global Brigades’ Holistic Model.
Donation Goals for Greece Brigades range between $1,890 USD*
When you meet your Donation Goal, you become eligible to travel and participate in a Brigade. Your fundraising covers In-country experiences, including:
- Ground transportation
- Lodging
- Meals
- Emergency insurance, and
- Medications, supplies, local health professionals, translators, and in-country staff.
If your Brigade chooses to book flights through Global Brigades, airfare will be added to your Donation Goal. Our travel team will coordinate with your Chapter to make booking simple.
*Coming from outside the US, Canada, or the UK? Talk to our team about donation goals.
2026 Greece Donation Goals for 7 Day Brigades*
| Volunteers | Medical | Dental | |
| 8+ | $1,890 USD | $1,740 USD |
*Chapters with less than 8 volunteers must be paired with another chapter.
Sustainable Health Fund
A portion of each Donation Goal supports our Sustainable Health Fund, which enables year-round healthcare in partner communities carried out by our local teams. Specifically, the Fund supports initiatives of the medical program that enable sustainable transitions toward the goal of becoming an Empowered Community.
These include the Community Health Workers, Patient Referrals, Community Pharmacy, and the on-going impact evaluation of the program.
Scholarships
Scholarship opportunities are available for volunteers to meet their Donation Goal by starting or referring a new chapter. These scholarships may cover a portion or all of the Donation Goal.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations.
A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.
Safety Highlights in Greece
- Global Brigades is an active member of OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) and receives up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department.
- We have established relationships with local partners and organizations to gain trust and access to the refugee and asylum seeker population.
- Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel are on-call at all times.
- We adhere to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.
Lodging Facilities
Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets, and towels. Facilities are typical hotels with showers, toilets, and sinks with running water) as well as filtered clean drinking water.
Novus City Hotel
Brown Kubic Hotel
Brown Kubic Hotel is one of the current lodging facilities for Brigades in Greece. Global Brigades has done a safety review of this hotel. It is located right at the Center of Athens, only 10 minutes on foot from the GB Athens Clinic.
To Spiti
To Spiti lodging facility is run by Global Brigades Greece for volunteers. It is located at the center of Athens, opposite the city’s second-largest public park, Pedion Areos (meaning Fields of Mars). It is an approximate 20 minute walk from To Spiti to the Greece Polylinic.
Join a Medical Brigade in Greece
Get in touch with our team to start a Medical Brigades Chapter or join an existing group traveling to Greece. Talk with our experienced staff about the impact you can make in under-resourced communities, available scholarship opportunities, and how this opportunity will connect you with other passionate students on your campus.
After filling out the form, we will be in touch to provide you with the next steps.
This DONATION is non-refundable
This DONATION is non-refundable Global Brigades, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your donation will be used to further Global Brigades' mission and will be allocated toward the program you selected. This donation will not be utilized to fulfill a chapter or a volunteer's fundraising goal. Read Global Brigades, Inc's full Donation Refund Policy here.
Looking to donate to support a volunteer's fundraising goal? Find their Global Brigades Chapter by searching our Chapters map and then selecting their upcoming brigade. If you need help finding their chapter, you can ask the volunteer to send you their brigade's specific website link or you can contact us.
By making this donation, I agree to the no-refund policy
I am cancelling my donation to support Global Brigades