Generous Grant from the Hellenic Initiative Fights Hunger in Athens

The Hellenic Initiative, a global nonprofit created to fight humanitarian issues in Greece resulting from the country’s economic crisis, has donated a generous grant of $50,000 to the Athens Food Bank to help fight hunger in the Greek capital.

The donation will go to the Athens Food Bank, which has helped families in need in Greece since the beginning of the country’s disastrous economic crisis.

The immense economic and societal pressures brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have made the Athens Food Bank’s work even more important.

Athens Food Bank provide food to hungry Athenians

Many Greeks who were already struggling with hunger before the pandemic have found themselves in an even more desperate position due to Covid-19, and the Athens Food Bank has reported a significant uptick in the number of people who need their help.

The Athens Food Bank has worked tirelessly to reduce food waste and support the hungry in the Greek capital. In 2020 alone, the Athens Food Bank distributed 1,850 tons of food to over 43,000 Greeks in Athens.

The Food Bank collects donations from large food manufacturers and distributes the goods to orphanages, nursing homes, soup kitchens, and other charities.

They input all of their incoming donations into a complex, comprehensive database that records the shelf life of all the food, in order to ensure that no food is wasted.

Dimitrios Nentas, an employee of the Athens Food Bank for nearly a decade, expressed his gratitude both to the Hellenic Initiative for its generous donation, and to all Diaspora Greeks for their support:

“Our message to the Hellenic Diaspora is that we are happy and feel fortunate to see that Greeks, even those so far away, think about us and support us.”

“It is very important for us to see, in a very practical way, that we are not alone,” Nentas continued.

Hellenic Initiative fights hunger, supports Greeks after the crisis

The $50,000 donation from the Hellenic Initiative, which was founded in 2012 by Greeks of the Diaspora and Philhellenes, will be used to provide aid to the most vulnerable populations in Athens, as it will support the Athens Food Bank’s Emergency Food Fund.

Since its foundation, the Hellenic Initiative has invested over $16.5 million in supporting Greeks who have struggled due to the financial crisis, both by providing humanitarian aid and by funding economic development programs.

The Hellenic Initiative shifted its focus in 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, recognizing the immense impact the virus could have on vulnerable Greeks.

The funds for the latest donation to the Athens Food Bank were raised by the Hellenic Initiative’s first-ever virtual gala.

“The funds THI raised during its first ever virtual Gala are already supporting the ones who need it the most,” Michael Printzos, Program Director at the Hellenic Initiative, stated.

“COVID-19 continues to ravage communities in Greece, creating for many food insecurity. This THI gift will allow the Food Bank to purchase food items that are rarely donated but remain very important for a healthy and nutritional diet,” Printzos said.