The Greek America Foundation’s first team of Greek America Corps volunteers have arrived in Athens to begin their work serving numerous Greek non-profits with critical humanitarian work.
This is the first of three programs the Foundation is sponsoring in Greece and includes work with Emfasis Foundation and Boroume, two organizations that support homeless and food-vulnerable people; We4All, a team of Greek volunteers that organize beach clean-ups and other environmental activities and the Greek Council for Refugees, an Athens-based charity that supports the integration of refugees and provides services to unaccompanied refugee minors.
The volunteer program includes optional college credit from the Hellenic American University in Athens, which students transfer back to their home institutions, since the university is U.S.-accredited.
Prior to their arrival in Athens, the group participated in workshops and presentations from pediatric psychologists Dina Karvounides and Georgette Constantinou, both of whom are supporters of our organization who have volunteered to help our team prepare for traumatic situations that they may encounter while helping vulnerable people.
The program costs are funded by the Greek America Foundation, thanks to the generosity of numerous donors including a major gift from Mr. John George of New Orleans and support from additional generous donors who contributed significantly to this program’s realization: Peter Kalis, Arthur and Susan Karas, Spiro Macris, The Order of AHEPA, Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos and Darden R. Livesay Jr.
In addition to their volunteer work, the group is also raising funds to support the charity organizations they are serving with food, supplies and other necessary items. Click here to help Athens Team #1 meet their goal.
This program will run for three weeks and will be followed by two more programs, one also in Athens and a second on the island of Chios.
PHOTO: Alex Alexakos, New York (back left); Stephanie Korbakes, Chicago (back second left); Anastacia Stitt, Los Angeles (back third left); Darden Livesay, Connecticut (back third right); Eleni Anagnostopoulos, Athens (back second right) and Lilly Lucero, Las Vegas (back far right); Georgia Kambouras, New York (front left); Georgia Englezos, New York (front second left); Malak Afaneh, Chicago (front second right) and Marina Tsirambidis, Cleveland (front far right)