Feature: Three Greek friends go "Homeless for a day" on Christmas Eve

In Lamia, a city 210 km north of Athens, three young people decided to go "Homeless for a day" last week, spending 24 hours on a cold bench instead of the coziness of their homes.

Their aim? To raise awareness of the issue of homelessness and poverty and gather necessity goods for the less fortunate ahead of Christmas.

A Xinhua reporter visited Lamia and spent a day with Christos Solopoulos, Thanassis Theodorou and Yannis Koutsikos who are together in this mission.

"The original idea was not ours. At first it was launched by some students in the U.S. We saw it on the internet and thought that we should do it too," carpenter Solopoulos told Xinhua.

"We decided to do it during the Christmas holidays, when people feel more solidary," he added.

Thus, for the fourth consecutive year, from 6 a.m. on Dec. 23 to 6 a.m. on Christmas Eve, the three friends occupied a bench on Parkou Square, where they welcomed their fellow citizens who responded enthusiastically to their call.

"We want to show that although in Greece there are lots of things we miss, we still have solidarity. And we see this every year we come here: we get overloaded with bags," Solopoulos stressed.

People's contributions included long-term food which is going to be donated to Lamia's Social Grocery Store, and clothes, shoes and medicines that will be sent to the City of Athens Reception and Solidarity Center. The center currently supports approximately 25,000 homeless and destitute people.

"(Such actions) are important because the ongoing crisis of the last five to six years has intensified the problems faced by a lot of our fellow-people. Only through our support we will be able to make their lives easier and their pain duller," Koutsikos highlighted, also representing the local Trahina Running Club that sponsors the action "Homeless for a day".

Unlike real-life homeless people who have to deal on a daily basis with the cold, but also with hunger, criminality, unhygienic living conditions, solitude and bad physical and mental health, Solopoulos, Theodorou and Koutsikos spent these 24 hours surrounded by their friends and families, overwhelmed by the donations of their fellow-citizens.

However, the cold and the fatigue they encounter makes their mission challenging, that they describe the experience as life-changing. Getting in those people's shoes even for 24 hours makes you see things differently, as they told Xinhua.

Despite the biting cold, all through the day, Parkou Square was lively with people: some had gone Christmas shopping, some were strolling around the lit-up city and others had taken their kids to the merry-go-round that was set up on the square for the holidays.

Dozens of them stopped to discuss with the three "homeless", ask them about their campaign, leave only to return with a bag or two. Without even realizing how, in only a few hours the bags had multiplied exceeding the organizers' expectations and setting a four-year record.

Varvara, a woman in her early 30s, came with her three-year-old son. She is a regular donator to Lamia's Social Grocery Store. "I left some of my son's clothes, so that children who need them more can wear them," she said.

"I come here every year. I believe there is nothing more important these days for everyone that has even a small thing to offer than helping people who are in need," explained Eleni who brought three large bags, full of long-term food and clothes. Endit