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.