The new structure was inaugurated at noon, in an atmosphere of joy and emotion, by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece K.K. Hieronymos II with the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis.
A visionary partnership between the “Mission” of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and the Municipality of Athens, which aims to support in an active and creative way the children of vulnerable families in the wider area of ​​Patisia, took “flesh and bones” from today with the opening of the Polychoros Children’s “Lela Karagianni”. In the home of the great heroine of the Occupation, which was granted by the Municipality of Athens to the charity organization “Apostoli”, the children find a warm and welcoming “hug”, at a time when vulnerable families need substantial support.
The children, together with their families, today “flooded” the spaces of the new structure, in which they are provided with reinforcing educational support and learn the new technologies combining knowledge, learning and entertainment. The aim of Polychóros is to help children aged 6-12 to develop essential social values ​​and standards, such as empathy, mutual respect, understanding, acceptance.
The new structure was inaugurated at noon, in an atmosphere of joy and emotion, by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece K.K. Hieronymos II with the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis.
The inauguration was done by Metropolitan Fthiotidos Mr. Simeon. The event was attended by the General Manager of “Apostoli”, Mr. Konstantinos Io. Dimtsas and Mr. Georgios Zanias, President of the Board of Directors of Eurobank, which supports the operation of the Center.
His Beatitude Archbishop K.K. Hieronymos II in his statement underlined the importance of supporting the family and children: “The Church treats children holistically and multidimensionally, taking care of their spiritual, mental, moral, educational and material progress and development, without discrimination and exclusion based on the equality of all children as creations of God. Dealing with the challenges and crises we are experiencing requires the synergy and cooperation of various social actors, but particularly the cooperation of the two leading institutions of State and Church and Church and Society; cooperation, which has a very strong basis in terms of time and quality, which runs through our entire history from Byzantine times until today. The Church has structures, know-how, human resources and vision and can, by mobilizing them, produce good results from a social point of view. We thank Mr. Mayor, Eurobank, and also the parents of the children for the trust they show in the “Mission”.
The Mayor of Athens Mr. Costas Bakoyannis, among others, said the following: “It is a day of true joy for all of us. We joined forces, as we have done many times in the past, to create a warm embrace for children and their families. In this house where a great heroine, Lela Karagianni, lived, small children will learn, be entertained, develop their feelings and empathy. My sincere thanks to His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens Mr. Ieronymos for our valuable cooperation. The Municipality and the Church have proven that together they can do a lot for society and people. A big thank you, and to those who are still participating and actively supporting this effort.”
The General Director of the “Apostoli” Mr. Konstantinos Io. Dimtsas underlined, among other things, that “the main objective of the “Apostoli” is to provide help and support to vulnerable groups of the general population of the country.
Therefore, the “Mission” has created from 2010 until today a series of programs and actions of institutions and structures with a wider social character and a variety of objects. As His Beatitude has repeatedly emphasized, the family, children and demographics are key priorities of the Church’s social and ministerial work and at the same time have wider social significance, especially in our time.
Within this framework, “Apostoli” in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens and the Mayor Mr. Konstantinos P. Bakoyannis created and is currently putting this “Polychoro” into operation. The creation of such structures and their connection with significant personalities of our modern history, such as the great patriot, Anti-Statist and Mother of many children Lela Karagianni, are models for all of us today.
Her example as a Mother and as a Fighter is a source of inspiration, especially under the current conditions of individualism, selfishness and indifference that characterizes our time. I thank all those who contributed, His Beatitude, Mr. Mayor, the Municipal Council, the Management of Eurobank, the parents, for their trust in the “Mission” work. Dimos and Eurobank are commendable examples to be emulated, especially in our time”.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eurobank, Mr. Georgios Zanias, in his greeting said: “I feel particularly happy that today here, in the historic building of Lela Karagiannis, the new Children’s Playground, a modern facility where many children and families they will have access to a wide range of educational and advisory services, covering a significant part of their needs and issues that concern them. We are honored that, with our contribution, another commitment to support the family is implemented, which is a central goal of the broader Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that Eurobank is developing for Demographics, from 2021. Our strategic partner in this process is the Mission, through which we offer free baby packages to parents with newborns on the country’s eastern border, expanding a long-standing partnership. With a sense of responsibility and a permanent goal to contribute to the management of complex problems for the country and society, I wish a good start to the project of Polychoros”.
The Home of the heroine Lela Karagianni – who was executed by the Germans shortly before the liberation of Greece – is used today in the most beneficial way for the children of vulnerable families and bears the name “Lela Karagianni Children’s Polychoros” in her honor.
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