Some of the most lasting lessons children learn happen while working beside the adults they love. For families involved with the Greek America Foundation, preparing Thanksgiving meals has become one way to put generosity into practice.
For the Greek America Foundation, passing on our values means giving young people opportunities to live them. Around a Thanksgiving kitchen counter, compassion becomes something families practice together—preparing a meal, sharing their time, and caring for a neighbor.
A family legacy becomes an invitation
The initiative grew from Andreas Koutsoudakis’s wish to honor his late father, a Tribeca restaurant owner remembered for his generosity. It gave other families an opportunity to carry that spirit forward through their own actions.
In 2022, GAF collaborated with Marathi Greek Bistro in Tribeca to prepare meals for The Bowery Mission. Supporters sponsored more than $2,000 in meals, and young volunteers joined their parents in the work. Koutsoudakis, a member of GAF’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2022, offered his restaurant, time, and resources to help organize the project.
Learning through participation
In November 2024, families gathered at Andrew’s Diner on Staten Island to prepare and deliver more than 100 meals to Project Hospitality. Support came from individual donors and a grant from KI Legal. Children who had taken part before returned for another year of service.
Returning together gives families something meaningful to share. Children take on responsibilities, help one another, and contribute to a meal someone else will receive. For parents, it is a chance to pass on a deeply held value through time spent together.
When a community adds its generosity
On November 26, 2025, the project brought young volunteers to Carnegie Diner & Cafe in New York City. They assembled more than 100 turkey dinners for the Hoboken Shelter. Proprietor Stathis Antonakopoulos donated the food expenses back to GAF, allowing the money raised to support the Foundation’s broader philanthropic programs.
Behind those meals stood a community: a son honoring his father, parents making time to serve alongside their children, a restaurant owner opening his doors, and donors helping make it all possible. Each brought something different. Together, they carried a Greek American tradition of generosity to neighbors beyond their own families.
This is the kind of community we are building at the Greek America Foundation—one where children have a place in the work of caring for others, and where the values we inherit become the values we pass on.
Help your family make giving a tradition. Connect with GAF.