We are proud to announce another $5,000 grant from our #ChildrenOfGreece campaign that supports charities whose work directly impacts the most vulnerable members of Greek society — the children.
The recipient is the The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), the oldest and largest NGO in Greece, exclusively dedicated to international protection issues.
GCR aims to ensure the protection and smooth integration of refugees into Greek society. Priority is given to the most vulnerable cases including unaccompanied minors, victims of trafficking, victims of torture, single-parent families and so on.
In the center of Athens, GCR operates the PYXIDA Intercultural Center, founded in 1996, which offers programs with an emphasis on refugee youth and children. PYXIDA staff directly support children and their families in all aspects of schooling. The staff also offers recreational activities for pre-school age children.
PYXIDA also operates a parents’ school which works to integrate refugee families into Greek society. Children facing particular challenges can benefit from private sessions with PYXIDA’s child psychologist.
In a letter to the Greek America Foundation, GCR Director Nikolaos Kokkaris thanked our organization for providing financial support during a pivotal time.
“Your support and generosity arrive at a critical moment, while our staff witnesses lack of access in many crucial public services such as health and psychosocial support,” Kokkaris wrote. “We are grateful to have you by our side, a great ally, in our effort to provide assistance to people that have no other hope than our solidarity.”
Kokkaris explained how our $5,000 grant, which was raised thanks to generous donors who supported our “21 for ’21” campaign earlier this year, will support GCR’s operations which benefit refugee children and families.
“Your kind contribution will allow us to enhance the remote access of refugee children to PYXIDA’s activities during the pandemic,” he wrote. “It will mainly cover students’ Internet data needs in order to participate in online Greek courses and workshops. It will also help us cover any other urgent need that might arise, always regarding the services that we provide to children in PYXIDA.”
The advertisement video below (in Greek) was produced by GCR and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and broadcast on Greek TV during June 2019. The video provides a brief glimpse into the importance of the organization’s work.
About #ChildrenOfGreece
The #ChildenOfGreece campaign falls under the Greek America Foundation’s Project Hope for Greece. Launched in 2013, the project aims to inspire philanthropy among North Americans and encourage grassroots fundraising for charitable organizations in Greece.
How to support our #ChildrenOfGreece campaign
Numerous options are available to help raise funds and awareness for the most vulnerable members of Greek society — the children — through our current campaign.
Click here to make a direct donation.
Click here to learn how to create a birthday fundraiser.
Click here to sign up for Team Greek America, our virtual team of athletes who raise funds for our campaign by creating their own races.