By Darden Livesay, The Pappas Post

An Australia-based non-profit organization will assist children from disadvantaged families in Patras, Greece through a grant to SOS Children’s Villages Greece. 

The Hellenic Initiative Australia announced the €20,000 grant on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at the opening of the Learning and Education Centre at the SOS Social Centre in Patras, which was established in 2017 to support local economically disadvantaged families.

The Learning and Education Centre helps families to support their children’s education through programs run by qualified educators and counsellors. The programs also develop their psychosocial skills in a safe environment while offering them a daily meal or snack.

The program supports parents by helping them find employment and offering them counselling services.

THI Australia President Nicholas Pappas said the organization was pleased to be partnering with SOS Children’s Villages Greece to help disadvantaged children have better futures.

“Through this grant we recognize that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their potential,” Pappas said. “By providing educational support and training, meals, family counselling and a range of important support services, we believe this program will have a lasting impact on the lives of the children and families participating.”

This is the first project THI Australia has funded in Greece’s Peloponnese region. THI’s U.S. branch has funded food aid programs for SOS Children’s Villages for three years, and THI Canada has funded meals for SOS Villages homes and SOS Babies homes in Athens. 

Welcoming the grant from THI Australia, SOS Children’s Villages Greece National Director George Protopapas said the Patras Learning and Education Centre will help families who have been affected by Greece’s economic crisis. 

“We are delighted and deeply moved that The Hellenic Initiative Australia is supporting this important program and demonstrating love and solidarity for children in need,” Protopapas said. 

The Patras Learning and Education Centre has been funded by THI Australia, HSBC and supported with furniture and equipment from the 2470 District of Rotary International. This is the fourth Learning and Education Centre established by SOS Children’s Villages Greece.