Given our history of providing humanitarian relief on the Greek islands when crises strike, we’ve launched a Samos Earthquake Relief Fund to raise money for the immediate and long-term support of those in need, following a catastrophic earthquake on Samos.
On October 30, the island was rocked by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake triggering tsunamis that caused major damages and destruction, including the tragic deaths of two teenagers caught under the rubble.
The powerful seismic event could be felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul.
While the Greek America Foundation raises funds, our first priority will be to assess the needs on the ground with local and national government officials in the Greek Ministry of Civil Protection.
A total of 300 buildings have been destroyed or found unlivable after the quake and thousands of people have been impacted with many left homeless.
Click here to donate to our Samos Earthquake Relief Fund
The worst damage was sustained in the village of Kontaiika, where most older public structures were reduced to rubble and many inhabited homes and buildings have also been destroyed. Other buildings have been deemed danger zones until damages can be assessed and repaired.
The video below from Greek newspaper “To Ethnos” shows the first images of damages on Samos following the powerful earthquake.
Click here to donate to our Samos Earthquake Relief Fund
The Greek America Foundation has a history of supporting Greek island residents and organizations as they grappled with various humanitarian crises.
When a devastating earthquake struck the island of Lesvos in June 2017, we raised $45,000 to directly benefit families that lost their homes and businesses. The funds raised provided one year’s worth of food coupons for the families to use at local grocery shops. Our support equaled more than $120 in monthly food support for a year for more than 80 families in the village of Vrysa.
On Samos, we supported Maria Makroyianni, also known as Mama Maria, who cooked thousands of meals from her restaurant and home for people in need during the height of the island’s refugee crisis in 2015-2016.
We also provided the funds for the complete refurbishment and repair of new fishing boats for the Nobel Prize-nominated fishermen of Lesvos when their boats were destroyed in a winter storm.
Read more about our past humanitarian support efforts on our Project Hope for Greece page.
Finally, through our volunteer program, Greek America Corps, we have sent North American volunteers to Chios who have provided badly-needed manpower to local organizations providing valuable services to vulnerable children.
During every project and campaign, we have instituted the highest levels of transparency to ensure that the funds raised reached the people in need, avoiding middle-man organizations and — when possible — sending our own staff to visit with locals on the ground.
Donate to our Samos Earthquake Relief Fund
All contributions are tax-deductible and you will receive an email receipt upon completing your donation.
PLEASE NOTE: We accept donations via check. Click here to fill out our electronic form and find instructions for how and where to mail your check.
The Greek America Cultural and Educational Foundation [Greek America Foundation] is a 501c3 non-profit corporation in the state of New York. Federal ID #81-1672793. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Reference IRS Publication 526.
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The Greek America Foundation has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s leading charity transparency watchdog. Click here to view our profile on GuideStar.
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