This story first appeared in JRS INSIDER, a monthly newsletter including stories of impact across JRS global.

Tucked between Larissa Station and Victoria Square — two neighborhoods in Athens, Greece, marked by poverty, transience, and growing social exclusion — stands the JRS Women’s Day Center. For refugee mothers and their children newly arrived to Greece, the Center offers a place to rest, regroup, and begin again.

Just in the first half of 2025, more than 250 women and children visited the Center. The mothers arrive carrying the emotional weight of conflict, displacement, and uncertainty about their futures alongside the everyday demands of parenthood.

But once they arrive, they can shower, wash their clothes, have a meal, spend time in community with one another, and receive referrals for medical care and legal support. The adjacent playroom gives the children a safe space to learn and play, allowing these mothers a moment to focus on their own needs.

The successful Day Center is one of JRS Greece’s core programs supporting refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers in Athens as Greece remains a primary point of entry into Europe for people fleeing violence and instability in the Middle East and Africa.

As of June, tens of thousands of people in Greece held refugee or temporary protected status. The numbers include large populations from Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine. Many more without official status remain in limbo as they try to navigate Greece’s complex legal system.

Without proper legal status and documents, refugees struggle to access employment, education, healthcare, and housing. Even once status is granted, integration presents additional challenges: a new language, unfamiliar institutions, and finding stable work in a strained economy.

In this context, the Women’s Day Center is an anchor for refugee mothers up against seemingly insurmountable challenges. Through workshops, education, case management, and translation services, the Center supports language acquisition, employment skills, and social integration support. Working with local partners, JRS connects refugee women with additional opportunities from around Athens like a recent beauty workshop hosted at the Center.

This shelter is an example of accompaniment at its best, a program that meets individuals in their specific contexts and provides support as they work to rebuild their lives.