AHEPA HELLAS

We are hosting a Gala Dinner Dance on November 11, 2011 at St. George Lycabettus and hope that all of our Brothers and Sisters will support this event.  PGP Mary Filou will be our honored guest.

For Information and Reservations: Jane Bizos 210 764-7075 

A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE KARYATIDES

THE HISTORIC FIRST AHEPA FAMILY CHAPTER IN GREECE

AND

THE PENELOPEAN DAY CARE CENTER

The Karyatides Chapter #271 is in its 58^th year of existence.    In the early fifties, Greece was coming out of two distractive wars. Wounds were open, great needs existed.  In a happy coincidence, a young woman, Helen Tranta, met, on her return home from the USA. with the Grand President of the Daughters of Penelope, Adeline Geokaris. GP Adeline Geokaris wanted a Chapter of the Daughters of Penelope in Athens so that when the Sisters came to Athens “they would find someone of their own”.   As a result of this meeting, the first overseas chapter of the Daughters of Penelope, Karyatides # 271 was initiated. 

Helen Tranta together with Helen Kanellopoulou, who embraced the idea of the new chapter immediately, looked for a way to serve Greece and the Great AHEPAN ideal of Philanthropy. Thus, they started on a wonderful adventure: The Penelopean Foundation.

The Penelopean, was founded in 1957.  The beautiful building at Nea Ionia, Athens, Greece was finished some years later.  The monies to build came from hard work, socialite events, lotteries and from contributions and donations-including some from our AHEPA Brothers and Sisters from the States, and also with great personal effort on the part of the Karyatides. Many Supreme Delegations visited the Karyatides and the Penelopean before there were other AHEPA Chapters in Greece. The Karyatides were much moved by the drama of young girls condemned for minor offences and enclosed at Averof prison in the same cells with long-term prisoners. Therefore, they dedicated the Penelopean Foundation to sheltering, protecting and educating young girls over 12 years of age, who could be in “moral danger”.

For several years the Penelopean functioned with this goal. They were happy, productive years.  Many young girls lived for a period of up to two years in a clean, happy, nurturing environment where they learned skills which would help them survive and flourish.  The young girls learned how to cook, how to sew and were members of the chorus and put on theatrical performances at the Penelopean.  They were always supported and loved by their benefactors, the Daughters of Penelope Karyatides, who were there by their side making a home environment for them, loving them, supporting all of their endeavors.  They were nurtured in an environment much like that of a private boarding school in the States.   It is a remarkable tribute to the founding members of the Karyatides Chapter #271 which lives on today. 

 Penelopean Day Care Center facebook page

Circumstances changed and in 1975 the Penelopean converted to a day-care center for children of working or incapacitated mothers of low income or no income. It hosts babies from three months old to the pre-school age of 5 1/2 years of age. More than three thousand children have since taken their first steps, learned their first words and drawn their first pictures, in a foundation that is a role model here in Greece because of its high level of service and its substructure. 

All these years, the Karyatides Chapter has administered the Penelopean, supervised its good functioning and contributed financially. At the same time they were able to acquire a wonderful apartment in the heart of Athens as dowry to the Penelopean Foundation. Half of it was donated by Helen Kanellopoulou and the other half was bought by the Karyatides themselves. They often faced insurmountable difficulties and financial dead-ends. However, they went on, fighting and overcoming obstacles, without fanfare or organized public relations, surviving only with their own

 volunteer work and donations of persons and organizations with special social awareness –including our AHEPAN Brothers and Sisters, both here and in the USA.  Our Sisters at Hesperus recently donated chairs to the Center and had also purchased the playground equipment before that.  Brothers from AHEPA Athens chapter HJ-1 and AHEPA Glyfada chapter HJ-2 have also been very generous with their time and money:  HJ1 in the past had fixed our roof, among other contributions.  Members of HJ2 helped at our Paint Day several years ago and recently facilitated the donation of a new oven for the Center.

In 2010-2011 the Penelopean hosted 106 children with a 13 member personnel: nannies, kindergarten teachers, cook, doctor, cleaning ladies etc. This past July, at the National Convention, The Penelopean Day Care Center was elected as a Voluntary Project by the delegates and we are very grateful for that vote of confidence.   Many of the Sisters had the opportunity to visit the Day Care Center and see the remarkable work that is ongoing when they were here in 2008.   The path is not easy. While the children never get old, the building does.  Operating expenses increase, the building needs repair – we need insulated windows, new electrical wiring, painting inside and out, new kitchen, air conditioning, and new playground equipment -  new problems arise daily. It is increasingly difficult in these harsh economic times to find sponsors.  However, we continue our work with endurance and dedication to the founders’ ideals.  

Love, in theta pi

Liana Kallierou, President                                               Maria Zacharia, Past President

Karyatides #271                                                                      Project Chairman, PDCC