News – The Hellenic Initiative Canada

The Hellenic Initiative’s Global End Of Year Appeal Raises $80,000 For Children’s Educational Support

With the ‘gift of knowledge’ THI empowers children in need in Greece to aspire to a successful life.

Seeking to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children in Greece, The Hellenic Initiative (THI) designated SOS Children’s Villages Greece as the beneficiary of its annual End of the Year Appeal for 2023, raising $80,000 worldwide.

THI END OF YEAR APPEAL

In the 2023 Appeal, all three chapters of the global philanthropic family, THITHI Australia and THI Canada joined together in the ‘Oli Mazi’ spirit in support of the same cause.

Founded in 2012, THI is a global non-profit organization that brings together Diaspora Greeks and Philhellenes to invest in Greece through programs focused on economic development and crisis relief. Since its founding, THI has collectively invested more than $22 million in Greece and has grown to be the premiere Greek Diaspora organization in the world.

SOS Children’s Villages, which has been in Greece since 1975, “is the world’s largest organization focused on ensuring that children and young people without parental care… grow up with the care, relationships and support they need to become their strongest selves” according to www.sos-childrensvillages.org.

“I will always fondly remember the first THI event that took place in New York eleven years ago. This was the beginning of THI’s great humanitarian initiative which has brought relief and help to thousands of children and people in need,” said George Protopapas, National Director, SOS Children’s Villages Greece.

The Hellenic Initiative’s Global End Of Year Appeal Raises $80,000 For Children’s Educational Support

THI donations to SOS Children’s Villages Greece contribute to helping children from low-socioeconomic communities reach their full potential. A gift of $30 can cover a portion of the costs to ensure 5 children receive educational assistance in Greek, Math and literacy. Larger gifts increase the number of beneficiaries proportionally and add English classes, STEM education, healthy snacks, and stress relief activities. 

Through the Education and Social centers overseen by SOS Children’s Villages Greece, THI aims to empower parents facing financial or educational obstacles. Each academic year up to 2,000 children aged 8 to 17 from local communities and up to 1,500 parents access the amazing support offered at the centres.

SOS programs increase the resilience, psychosocial well-being, and self-esteem of children and parents participating in the programs. Programs also help reduce school dropout rates and contribute towards self-sufficiency for children.

Andrew N. Liveris, THI’s Global Chairman, stated, “Once again THI was pleased to celebrate the holiday season and the spirit of giving by asking people to help make a difference in the lives of others – especially children. We are deeply grateful for their continued trust and support.”

The Hellenic Initiative’s Global End Of Year Appeal Raises $80,000 For Children’s Educational Support

Greek American Millionaire Leaves Fortune for His Village in Greece

millionaire village Greece
The village of Mexiates near Lamia during winter. Credit: Facebook/Lefteris Dzachristos

Greek millionaire Steven Zonas, who died frugally in Cincinnati in 1980, has left behind a fortune for the sick and underprivileged of his native village in central Greece.

The village of Mexiates in Phthiotis has benefited from his estate and was left with nearly $1.6 million in stocks when he died at age eighty-seven. Dividends and interest put his estate at more than two million dollars.

“It has been 33 years since money started flowing into the village,” Kostas Christopoulos, president of the Steven Zonas Foundation that manages the endowment, told the Athens-Macedonia News Agency (AMNA).

According to Christopoulos, the manager of the shares is a bank in the United States that sends the profits of those shares to Greece each year for the needs of the village. These might include educational and medical necessities as well as financial help for the needy and orphans.

Zonas arrived to Cincinnati in the early 1900s. Those who knew him say he didn’t spend much money, wore tattered suit jackets, and lived in a $100-a-month hotel room, an Associated Press report said at the time.

He owned a small restaurant for a time and later washed dishes and cooked chili.

Village in Greece benefited from millionaire’s will

Since 1990, the village has benefited with more than two and a half million euros ($2.67 million). “Schools, kindergartens, churches have been built, [and] enormous help has been [contributed] to the education of children,” Christopoulos says.

He adds that “when the stock markets in America do well, the returns reach up to $180 thousand a year. But there are times when returns drop to just $15 thousand.” Most of the money received each year is used to support those who are most in need, especially students.

“Soon the primary school in the village will be equipped with projection systems and IT laboratories, with music and sports facilities, to become a model of infrastructure,” Christopoulos told AMNA.

He added that, thanks to the will of Steven Zonas, life in the village was revived, as immigration to larger cities and abroad significantly dropped in the last decades.

The will left behind by the Greek benefactor was hotly contested for almost eight years in Cincinnati courts. In August 1987, the 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals eventually ruled that a will purportedly signed by Zonas in Chicago a month before his death was forgery.

That document named Ernie Doland, a former manager of a restaurant where Zonas received free meals, as executor of the estate. The will accepted by the court was written up in secret when Zonas visited Greece in July 1980.

*Originally published on greekreporter.com

The Hellenic Initiative Canada Announces Collaboration with ELPIDA, in Honor of Marianna V. Vardinogianni

Dear THI Canada friends,

With great sadness, the Hellenic Initiative Canada mourns the passing of Marianna V. Vardinogianni and conveys deepest condolences to her husband, Vardis, children and extended family. Marianna’s example as a leading philanthropist and champion for children with cancer inspired others in Greece and around the world.

As Founder and President of ELPIDA, The Association of Friends of Children with Cancer, she was a relentless advocate and force for youth facing life-threatening illnesses. The Oncology Children’s Hospital Marianna V. Vardinogianni-Elpida in Athens established global partnerships, including with SickKids in Toronto. Marianna’s dedication and passion as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador brought honor to the country of her birth.

In recognition of Marianna’s remarkable legacy as a philanthropist, humanitarian and global citizen, THI Canada will collaborate with ELPIDA to honor her memory.

The Executive and Board
The Hellenic Initiative Canada

Marianna V. Vardinogianni with THI Canada’s Hon. Director and former Canadian Ambassador to Greece Robert Peck and Maria Pantazi Peck.

THI Canada Launches Scholarship Program for Greek Students to Study in Canada

The Hellenic Initiative Canada (THI Canada) recently launched its scholarship program for Greek students, living in Greece, to study in Canada. THI Canada will award two scholarships of $10,000 CAD each for eligible students admitted to a graduate program (Master’s) at a Canadian university for the 2024-2025 academic year.

THI Canada was pleased to work with the Embassy of Canada in Athens to launch the Scholarship Program on May 10, 2023. The reception was hosted by Ambassador Anna-Karine Asselin who expressed her appreciation for this initiative, noting that “the THI Canada scholarship program is an excellent initiative that will allow Greek students to experience Canada’s world-class education system and bring back to Greece a wealth of knowledge and expertise.”

The scholarships will be awarded to outstanding graduate students with a passion for their field of study. Priority will be given to students in areas of study that are in demand in the workforce in Greece, in areas of leading-edge technologies or in specialized fields that address current and future needs. To assist in efforts to reverse the brain drain, priority will also be given to students who intend to return to Greece upon completion of their studies. To that end, THI Canada will also work with partners in Greece and Canada to provide training and work experience for students returning to Greece to contribute to the growth, prosperity, and well-being of Greek society.

To apply for the THI Canada Scholarship Program, applicants must be Greek citizens residing in Greece, accepted into a graduate university program in Canada, and hold a minimum of 8 out of 10 grade point average from an undergraduate university program. For more information on the criteria and eligibility and to apply for the scholarship, visit THI Canada website at https://ca.thehellenicinitiative.org/thic-scholarship-application-form/

Contact Information
Natasha Bourliaskou, The Hellenic Initiative Canada
[email protected]
+1 (416) 372-7324

Dendias Addresses “The Hellenic Initiative Canada” Online Event

ATHENS — Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias represented Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the online Greek-Canadian event “The Hellenic Initiative Canada” on Wednesday.

A ministry statement said Dendias spoke of the role of the Greek diaspora in supporting Greece’s efforts, and in the positive role model Greece was developing in the greater region of the Mediterranean.

He also congratulated Greeks of Canada for collaborating with Greek diplomats and local authorities to light up buildings in the colors of the Greek flag in several cities and at Niagara Falls, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution (1821).

THI Canada Co-Hosts Minister Dendias and Minister Joly in Canada

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.

THI Canada teams up with nine foundations to help Greek startups, nonprofit groups

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.

THI Canada Partners with 9 Other Foundations on the Points of Support Program

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.

10 Foundations Join Forces to Help Start-Ups, Non-Profits in Greece

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.

Σημεία Στήριξης 10 Κοινωφελή Ιδρύματα συμπράττουν εκ νέου για την ενίσχυση της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών

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.