Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Offene Arme e.V!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Offene Arme e.V.!
Offene Arme e.V. is a nonprofit organization that is run mostly by volunteers. All our projects are sustained by people from all over the world who are willing to put in their heart, time and effort to address the situation of those seeking refuge on Chios. The open structures of Offene Arme enable everyone to take the initiative to unfold their ideas and creativity in terms of our projects.
The situation on Chios is constantly changing, so please be aware that the projects may be slightly different from what you see on the website when you come to volunteer. See an example of our in team in action at the warehouse in the video down below! Please keep in mind that our operations are not carried out inside of the camp, and our work mainly happens in the warehouse, 4km from Vial CCAC.
Before you continue our application process please note that we cannot provide documents to enable your stay – we can only accept volunteers who do not require a visa or residence permit to stay in Greece. We ask for a minimum of four weeks for volunteering with us, however we can be flexible with this. During the summer season (May to August) the miminum stay required is two weeks.
When planning your stay, please keep in mind that our activities are suspended on the following Greek public holidays in 2025
January 1 & 6
March 03 & 25
April 20
April 21
May 1
June 9
August 15
October 28
November 11
December 25 & 26
How to become a volunteer
Fill out our volunteer application form!
If you are a good fit for our team, we will email you letting you know and we will ask you to send us a criminal police check to ensure you can work with children.
Next thing you know, you will be part of an amazing team of volunteers!
Volunteer Stories
Nerissa Eda Ucar, Master’s Student
of Migration Studies at the University of the Aegean
Chios Island, Greece, February 2025
“Our goal when I was with Offene Arme e.V. was to deliver the most basic goods to people
who were arriving on the island, often soaking wet from their journey. We distribute items like
underwear, socks, shoes, baby diapers, strollers, sweaters, blankets, and hygiene products.
Since Offene Arme e.V is the only NGO providing these supplies, we tried our best to ease
the difficulties of life in Vial Camp, even if only slightly. New arrivals were making
appointments to choose what they needed most and we were distributing a limited amount of
each item to ensure fairness. But how do you explain fairness to a child in a world that has
been anything but fair to them? Some asked for Ronaldo jerseys, others for pink dresses or
shoes. A little girl carefully picked out a sweater and then struggled to decide between two
toys, knowing she could only take one. Since we were providing free items, some children
came up to me and quietly asked in Turkish, ‘Are they really free?’ As if kindness was
something unfamiliar or something too good to be true.”
To read Nerissa’s full story, click here
Nerissa Ucar, general volunteer
