Month: March 2023

Held during the Greek Foreign Minister official visit to Canada, the event was an opportunity to celebrate the Hellenic diaspora and showcase the long-standing partnership between Canada and Greece, as it highlighted the strong cultural, economic, political, but also personal, ties between the two countries.

THI Canada’s Co-President John Sotos and Directors Katerina Sokou and Elias Retsinas joined esteemed members of the Greek community of Montreal in welcoming the Greek Foreign Minister, who noted that “I am very proud to be here today, among the Greek community, among my compatriots, and be able to see how the two worlds, the Canadian and the Greek, are being combined around the same values, around the same principles”.

In his welcome address, John Sotos highlighted that as a distinctly Canadian member of the THI family and a registered charity in Canada, THI Canada supports a range of projects in Greece, from support to the elderly to basic needs such as meals for school children and assistance to victims of wildfires. Furthermore, THI Canada (the only participating charity not based in Greece) joins a group of leading local foundations funding small-scale civil society initiatives under the leadership of the Bodassaki Foundation.

In his welcome address, John Sotos highlighted that as a distinctly Canadian member of the THI family and a registered charity in Canada, THI Canada supports a range of projects in Greece, from support to the elderly to basic needs such as meals for school children and assistance to victims of wildfires. Furthermore, THI Canada (the only participating charity not based in Greece) joins a group of leading local foundations funding small-scale civil society initiatives under the leadership of the Bodassaki Foundation.

He added that THI Canada is proud to support the Toronto Economic Forum in partnership with the prestigious Delphi Economic Forum to help expand bilateral trade and investment, building on Canada’s position as the second largest foreign investor in Greece. Wishing to contribute to the economic renewal in Greece and the reversal of the brain drain, he announced that THI Canada is planning to launch graduate level scholarships for Greek students to study in Canada in areas of leading-edge technologies or of specific interest to the Greek society.

John Sotos expressed the wish of the Greek community for a long overdue visit of the Greek Prime Minister to Canada, and invited Minister Joly and everyone attending to join the fundraiser that THI Canada is planning on May 25th in Montreal. So please save the date – we hope to see you all then and look forward to continuing our work with partnerships and events that support our mission, while celebrating the shared values and heritage between Canada and Greece.

The Hellenic Initiative Canada (THI Canada) nonprofit has joined nine Greek foundations to launch the sixth round of the Points of Support Program, helping organizations with innovative, small-scale initiatives that have significant social impact for the benefit of society, the environment, and vulnerable groups.

Since the launch of the program in 2015, a total of 119 grants have been provided to startups and nonprofit groups in Greece carrying out initiatives benefiting more than 40,000 people across the country. On top of a 5,000-euro grant, the program also provides training, access to professionals, mentoring, networking opportunities and other capacity-building tools to ensure long-term growth.

The 10 foundations that have joined forces for the latest round of the program are: The Hellenic Initiative Canada, Ioannis S. Latsis Charitable Foundation, TIMA Charitable Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, A. G. Leventis Foundation, Athanasios K. Laskaridis Foundation, Costas M. Lemos Foundation, KIKPE Social and Cultural Foundation, and the Athena I. Martinou Foundation.

TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Hellenic Initiative (THI) Canada joins nine reputable and well-established foundations in Greece to launch the 6th cycle of the Points of Support Program. Since the launch of the Program in 2015, 119 small grants were provided to start-up, non-profit organizations in Greece delivering initiatives benefiting over 40,000 people across Greece.

The Program provides small grants for big ideas, supporting organizations with innovative small-scale initiatives that have significant social impact for the benefit of society, the environment, and vulnerable groups. To ensure the continued success and sustainability of participating organizations that receive grants of 5,000 euros each, the Program provides training, access to professionals, mentoring, networking opportunities and other capacity-building tools to ensure long-term growth.

The 10 foundations that are collaborating in the 6th cycle of the Points of Support Program are: The Hellenic Initiative Canada, Ioannis S. Latsis Charitable Foundation, TIMA Charitable Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, A.G. Leventis Foundation, Athanasios K. Laskaridis Foundation, Costas M. Lemos Foundation, KIKPE Social and Cultural Foundation, and the Athena I. Martinou Foundation.

The Bodossaki Foundation acts as the Program coordinator and the provider of capacity-building, through its Social Dynamo Program.

The Hellenic Initiative Canada joined nine foundations in Greece to support innovative small-scale initiatives by start-ups and non-profit organizations.

The grants will be awarded to organizations whose initiatives can have a significant social impact for the benefit of society, the environment, and vulnerable groups.

The “Points of Support Program” has provided 119 small grants to start-up, non-profit organizations in Greece delivering initiatives benefiting over 40,000 people across Greece since its launch in 2015.

To ensure the continued success and sustainability of participating organizations that receive grants of 5,000 euros each, the Program provides training, access to professionals, mentoring, networking opportunities and other capacity-building tools to ensure long-term growth.

Δημόσια πρόσκληση για τον 6ο κύκλο του προγράμματος

Δέκα κοινωφελή ιδρύματα της Ελλάδας ενώνουν τις δυνάμεις τους για την υποστήριξη της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών και ανακοινώνουν δημόσια πρόσκληση για συμμετοχή στον 6ο χρηματοδοτικό κύκλο του προγράμματος «Σημεία Στήριξης».

Τα «Σημεία Στήριξης» απευθύνονται σε μικρές οργανώσεις της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών στην Ελλάδα, τις οποίες υποστηρίζουν στην υλοποίηση πρωτότυπων δράσεων μικρής κλίμακας και μέγιστου κοινωνικού αντίκτυπου, στην ενδυνάμωση των δομών τους καθώς και στην ανάπτυξη ικανοτήτων που θα συμβάλουν στη βιωσιμότητά τους.

Για τον νέο κύκλο του προγράμματος, το οποίο ξεκίνησε το 2015 και έχει χρηματοδοτήσει 119 δράσεις, με περισσότερους από 40.000 ωφελούμενους, συμπράττουν το Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα Ιωάννη Σ. Λάτση, το ΤΙΜΑ Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα, το Ίδρυμα Μποδοσάκη, το Ίδρυμα Καπετάν Βασίλη & Κάρμεν Κωνσταντακόπουλου, το Ίδρυμα Α. Γ. Λεβέντη, το Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα Αθανάσιος Κ. Λασκαρίδης, το Costas M. Lemos Foundation, το Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα Κοινωνικού και Πολιτιστικού έργου ΚΙΚΠΕ, το Hellenic Initiative Canada και το Ίδρυμα Αθηνάς Ι. Μαρτίνου.

The Hellenic Initiative Australia and The Hellenic Initiative Canada are pleased to announce a new grant to Desmos Non-Profit Foundation totalling $20,000.

This grant to Desmos Non-Profit Foundation (Desmos) is the result of the joint End of Year Global Appeal by THI Australia and THI Canada in response to the growing level of food insecurity faced by many families in Greece. 

“We were delighted to partner with THI Australia for the End of Year Global Appeal for Greece. THI Australia is a trusted and well-respected partner who shares our mission and passion to support the wellbeing of people in need in Greece.  We thank our Australian friends for working with THI Canada to jointly support the good work of DESMOS and we look forward to future collaborations”, said Tula Alexopoulos, Director and Grants Committee Chair, THI Canada.

This grant will ensure that more than 400 families, approximately 1,340 individuals, who are registered with the social grocery of Salamina in Attica and the social grocery of Thermo in Aitoloakarnia will receive care packages containing condensed milk, rice, lentils, beans, chick peas, pasta products, tomato juice, tuna fish and meatballs for two months.

The social groceries are run by individual municipalities and beneficiaries must demonstrate that their annual income is below €5,251 in order to receive food relief.

“THI Australia is heartened to see like-minded members of the Greek diaspora in Australia and Canada come together to support the first jointly held End of Year Appeal for Greece. Every gift, small and large, will make a difference to the beneficiaries of the Desmos Food-Aid program we have chosen to support”, said THI Australia’s President, Nick G Pappas, AM.

Desmos, a non-profit foundation founded in 2012, has partnered with both THI Australia and THI Canada on numerous projects and was one of THI Australia’s first grant recipients in 2015. THI Canada most recently collaborated with Desmos to provide relief to families affected by the wildfires in Greece in 2021.

“We were honoured to have been selected as the beneficiary organisation of the first joint appeal held by THI Australia & THI Canada. Your trust gives Desmos motivation to continue to inspire giving every day to change the lives of those in need”, said Alexia Katsaounis, President, Desmos.