More than 63,000 children and their families were supported in 2013 by The Smile of the Child, based on figures presented in a press conference by the president of the non-profit organization, Constantinos Giannopoulos.
Presenting the charity’s Social and Support Actions over the last year, he said that “The Smile of the Child” had entered its 18th year of action in 2013, during which year its SOS 1056 hotline had received 272,605 calls (747 calls per day).
The organization intervened to help 264 children who were in immediate danger in 2013, while 1,296 children reported serious cases of abuse. In the same year, the European hotline 116000 for Missing Children received 7,138 calls and handled 124 missing children cases.
The Smile of the Child provided shelter and home care for 356 children, while the “Daily care” program supported 10,547 children living with families facing serious problems.
It provided assistance in 1,852 requests relating to children facing serious health problems and supported 9,816 children at hospitals in Greece, as well as arranging 2,459 patient transfers of newborns and children nationwide. It also carried out preventative medical examinations of 17,955 children in nine regions of Greece and provided counseling to 3,503 children and adults, in addition to running programs targeting schools and the international airport play area for children.
The charity’s president also urged the public to visit the site www.antibullying.eu on the occasion of the National Day against Bullying (March 6) and to sign for the establishment of a European Day against Bullying. Finally, he stressed that the ambassadors of all actions of the Agency against bullying are none other than the children, who have a voice through the website www.YouSmile.gr.
(source: ana-mpa)
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