Based on its available resources in terms of vehicles, infrastructure and the ACS store network, ACS has implemented the following actions:
(1) ACS partnership with “To Chamogelo toy Paidiou” (The Smile of the Child), a non-profit organization, to openly invite citizens for the collection of staple goods to ACS stores
From 9/11/15 to 13/11/15, the Smile of the Child and ACS invited citizens across Greece to gather food and staple goods for refugees and deliver them to ACS stores all over Greece. ACS was in charge of collecting, organizing and safely transporting and delivering those goods to Refugee Hot-Spots free of charge, in cooperation with local authorities in the islands of Lesvos, Kos, Chios and Samos. The total number of shipments amounted to 4,080, with a total weight of 43,877.10 kg.
(2) ACS partnership with POSYFY (Panhellenic Association of Border Guards) – Transporting goods for refugees
ACS entered into an agreement with the Panhellenic Association of Border Guards (POSYFY) for the free transport of particular goods (children’s clothes, shoes and milk) to the refugees’ children. Following an open invitation by ACS and POSYFY, those goods were first gathered at Police Departments across Greece by police officers and citizens who donated them from 16/11/15 to 30/11/15; ACS then helped gather them to 2 main hubs in Attica and Kavala. The collected goods were then transported by ACS to the islands of Mytilene, Kos and Leros, and distributed to Refugee Hot-Spots in cooperation with the Police Headquarters.
The total number of shipments amounted to 711, with a total weight of 8,304.30 kg.
(3) ACS partnership with ORIFLAME – Collection, sorting and transport of shoes
This particular action to support refugees in cooperation with ORIFLAME Company included the collection, sorting and transport of shoes that citizens donated to ACS Stores, free of charge. In particular, ORIFLAME invited people to deliver shoes for refugees to all ACS Network Stores from 23/11 to 30/11/15. All shoes had to be packed and the size and gender should be written on the packaging. The ACS Stores then forwarded those shipments to ORIFLAME’s central warehouse for the sorting of goods and preparation of shipments that would be later sent to Refugee Hot-Spots in Athens and from there to the Aegean Islands. The total number of shipments amounted to 40, with a total weight of 183.40 kg.
(4) ACS partnership with EVEA – Collection and transport of staple goods from ACS stores
In December 2015, ACS in cooperation with EVEA (Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry), implemented an action to support the homeless and families in need, which included free collection and transport of staple goods that citizens would offer to ACS stores on behalf of EMFASIS and The Smile of the Child NGOs. In particular, EVEA and Philanthropoli.com, a start-up, through publicity actions, invited people to deliver certain staple goods from 3/12 to 5/12/15 to all ACS stores. Those staple goods were sent from ACS stores to the headquarters of EVEA, and then forwarded to cooperating social institutions. The total number of shipments amounted to 79, with a total weight of 1,418 kg.
(5) ACS partnership with TOYOTA HELLAS
ACS actively supported TOYOTA’s initiative to aid refugees, by transporting staple goods that TOYOTA had collected for refugees in Mytilene, free of charge. All packages were transported in early December 2015, from the headquarters of TOYOTA to its authorized dealer in Mytilene, and were then distributed to the Refugee Hot-Spot. The total number of transported packages was 31, with a total weight of 590 kg.
ACS engaged its available human resources: 2,500 employees in 267 stores that received shipments from all over Greece; and infrastructure: 1,800 vehicles and 10 sorting centers across Greece, which were necessary for the actions to be successful. It is worth noting that the great challenge for the company was how to distribute the large volume of shipments that had been collected in big trucks and smaller vehicles of limited capacity used by local stores, and in unloading areas of destination stores (e.g. temporary staff needed to be hired at its store in Chios).
