At the 2025 Gabby Awards, held June 7 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, Gregory C. Pappas announced a transformative gift to the Greek America Foundation from one of the evening’s honorees, Evellyn Leontarakis Tsiadis — a donation that will create a new program of support, hope, and opportunity for young couples in need.
In memory of her late husband, Steve Tsiadis, Evellyn has gifted a family home in coastal Artemida, 18 miles outside Athens, to the Greek America Foundation. The home, originally built by Steve’s parents and filled with decades of cherished family memories, has remained vacant for more than a decade. Rather than sell the property, Evellyn made the decision to honor her husband’s legacy by donating it to the Foundation, ensuring that the home would continue to serve a meaningful purpose for generations to come.
The property will be named Xenia House — symbolizing the ancient Greek tradition of hospitality and generosity. Through this gift, the Greek America Foundation will establish a new program that offers young couples in need of support and stability the opportunity to live in the home rent-free for a period of time, providing them with a foundation to begin building their lives together.
In addition to donating the home itself, Evellyn has also contributed $20,000 to fund the renovation of the property, ensuring that it will be fully restored and ready to welcome its first residents. The project is being overseen on the ground in Greece by the Foundation’s supporters Achilleas Voutsinas and Steven Tsaropoulos of Holodek Real Estate, who are generously offering their time and expertise to manage the renovation and preparation of the home in order to bring Evellyn’s vision to life and ensure that the project is completed with care and excellence.
Plans will also be announced soon to decorate the walls of the house with art and photographs created and donated by Greek North Americans, which will help reinforce the human connections and bonds across the ocean.
“This extraordinary gift reflects the very essence of what the Greek America Foundation stands for — compassion, community, and the power of giving to others. Evellyn’s generosity honors not only her husband’s memory but also the legacy of his parents, and offers a new beginning for countless others who will create their own stories within these walls. We are deeply grateful to Evellyn, as well as to Achilleas and Steven, whose professional expertise and personal commitment will ensure the success of this beautiful project,” said Gregory C. Pappas, founder of the Greek America Foundation.
The new program will strengthen the Foundation’s commitment to Greece and complement our existing Greek America Corps volunteer program and Project Hope for Greece, which provide critical support of vulnerable communities and strengthen the connection between the people of North America and Greece.
We volunteer and support not as charity, but as solidarity—
An act that transforms the giver as much as the receiver.
When we lift others, we elevate ourselves.
When we serve vulnerable communities and people in Greece,
we strengthen the very soul of Greek America.
-From the Greek America Foundation Manifesto
The announcement was one of the most memorable and emotional highlights of the 2025 Gabby Awards, underscoring the Foundation’s ongoing mission to inspire philanthropy, preserve the ideals that were shared with us from the previous generation, and create opportunities for meaningful impact.