Ithaca – Hygiene and Reintegration Services for the Homeless Population
SOCIETY
CIVIL SOCIETY: 282 PRACTICES
TOPIC:
Initiative
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Objective Action
Ithaca is a Non-Profit Organization, founded in 2015, that operates the first Mobile Laundry Unit for homeless and vulnerable groups in Europe. Its main objective is to promote reintegration and reduce the social exclusion experienced by these populations.
Target Audience
Ithaca serves the homeless population, as defined by the ETHOS typology, as well as other vulnerable groups living under precarious conditions.
Duration
Ithaca was founded in 2015 by three university students—Thanos Spiliopoulos, Fanis Tsonas, and Andili Rahouti—who were inspired by a similar initiative in Australia.
In 2016, the mobile laundry service launched its first pilot operations in Athens. Since January 2017, the team has grown and now operates on a daily basis, having created the first internal employment opportunities for individuals from vulnerable groups.
Description
Ithaca is an initiative that promotes social inclusion through hygiene services and professional reintegration activities for vulnerable populations. Launched in 2016 as the first mobile laundry service in Greece for people facing homelessness, Ithaca has developed an innovative and immediately applicable support model, offering free washing and drying of clothes at both fixed and mobile service points across the city.
The Mobile Unit, specially designed to operate daily in the field, has proven crucial in improving public health. The ability to clean one’s clothes is essential to maintaining personal hygiene and significantly helps prevent skin and other communicable diseases, which are common under conditions of homelessness or poverty.
At the same time, having access to clean clothes contributes to psychological well-being and self-esteem, enhancing overall quality of life and enabling individuals to engage socially without stigma.
Access to basic cleanliness services, combined with the soft social networking that occurs through daily contact with Ithaca staff, acts as a bridge to activate more targeted social support and integration interventions.
In parallel, through specially designed empowerment and training activities, Ithaca contributes substantially to the professional reintegration of individuals from vulnerable groups, by creating employment opportunities, developing skills, and supporting access to the labor market.
Employing beneficiaries within Ithaca itself reinforces a lived-experience approach and brings greater authenticity and effectiveness to the support the organization offers.
The initiative’s innovation lies in its combination of covering basic everyday needs with targeted reintegration and autonomy-building actions, seeking sustainable social change in a direct, functional, and deeply human way.
With the 10-year anniversary of continuous operation approaching in 2026, Ithaca is planning to expand its services further to maximize social impact and meet a broader range of needs.
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Impact on Society
Since 2016, Ithaca has made a tangible difference in the daily lives of homeless individuals:
1. Hygiene Services: Over 12,000 people have been supported through more than 52,800 visits, with more than 312,000 kilograms of clean clothes provided.
2. Reintegration Services: 25 people from vulnerable groups have been employed by Ithaca. Since 2022, over 65 people have been supported in finding employment. Additionally, more than 700 people have received psychosocial support, and over 500 have been engaged through job counseling and empowerment.
3. Other Contributions: 27 individuals have completed internships with Ithaca, over 400 people have volunteered, and 142 partnerships (both short- and long-term) have been established.
Initiative Location
Ithaca mainly operates within the Attica region, focusing on downtown Athens and Piraeus—areas with high concentrations of homeless individuals.
However, due to the mobile nature of its services, Ithaca also responds to emergency situations caused by natural disasters that put people at risk. Notable examples include:
The wildfires in Northern Evia, where Ithaca delivered vital equipment and provided relief to affected residents.
The Mandra floods, where Ithaca offered clean clothes to victims in the immediate aftermath.
Most recently, during Storm Daniel in Thessaly, Ithaca provided hygiene services to three villages, supporting over 1,000 individuals and families.
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Working with Organization
Given the multifaceted and complex nature of homelessness, Ithaca seeks to build partnerships with other Civil Society Organizations, Corporations, Foundations, and Public or European bodies in order to tackle the issue more effectively.
Whether through referrals to complementary services, support from companies, foundations, and EU programs that ensure Ithaca’s capacity to operate its services, or by offering support services to public bodies, all actions aim to improve living conditions for homeless individuals and reduce social exclusion through access to equal opportunities.
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Workers Participation
The team includes 9 staff members in management roles, overseeing the operation of hygiene and reintegration services, resource development, administrative support, and communications.
Additionally, 2 people from socially vulnerable groups are employed through Ithaca’s Employment Program, with the goal of reintegrating them into the labor market and supporting long-term reintegration.
Since its inception, volunteer engagement has been a cornerstone of Ithaca's work, with over 300 individuals having participated in various roles such as hygiene services, psychosocial support, resource development, communication, and social media management.
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Benefits for Οrganization
The operation of the Mobile Unit has delivered significant and multifaceted benefits to the organization. By strategically employing individuals from socially vulnerable groups, Ithaca enhances both its mission and its direct field impact. These employees serve as role models for beneficiaries, proving that the journey from exclusion to active participation is possible.
Moreover, the daily presence of the Mobile Unit in the streets enables Ithaca to engage directly with those in need, building trust and creating safe relationships. This facilitates the effective and respectful approach to beneficiaries and opens the door to referrals and support by the social service unit directly linked to the Mobile Unit. Those interested can then participate in job counseling, further boosting their chances of successful reintegration.
This action strengthens the organization in multiple ways: it improves the effectiveness of services, increases outreach to the target population, and reinforces Ithaca’s role as a socially innovative organization that acts not only as a provider but as a true enabler of inclusion and new opportunities.
Connection with Global Goals
