In his drive to maximize U.S.
support for victims of recent wildfires and for reforestation in Greece,
World Council of Hellenes USA Coordinator Theodore G. Spyropoulos is seeking
both government funding and private contributions when he participates in a
series of meetings and fund raisers in the next two weeks.
“It is imperative for us to have access to resources in the
U.S. government even as we reach out to Hellenic communities, which are
responding magnificently, and to private donors in this tragic hour for
Greece,” states Mr. Spyropoulos who is also President of the 10-year-old,
not-for-profit “Plant Your Roots in Greece” program. “It is also important to continue receiving donations
in any amount from both individuals and organizations in order to plan effective,
long-term actions,” he says.
A conference to develop public-private partnerships for
response to Greece’s wildfires was held today by USAID in Washington, D.C.
Henrietta H. Fore, acting director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, and Stephen
Jordan, senior vice president of the Business Civic Leadership Center, lead
that meeting which was also attended by Andrew Natsios, advisor to President
Bush. The group will seek an appropriation for fire victims and reforestation.
On Monday, September 24, Mr. Spyropoulos will participate in
a meeting on organization response sponsored by Archbishop Demetrios at the New
York Archdiocese.
These meetings follow closely the high-level conference held
last week in Washington
at the request of Mr. Spyropoulos, in cooperation with Hellenic American National
Council, aiming at closer coordination of relief initiatives. Participants
included Ambassador Alexander Mallias, Deputy Undersecretary of State Matthew
Bryza and, by telephone, former Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis, President
of Greece’s National Fund for victims of wildfires. Other participants were HANC
President Manolis Velivasakis, PanMessinian Federation President Vasilis
Bebonis, and Greek Studies Center President Dimitris Pallas.
“We have to maintain our momentum of giving,” Mr.
Spyropoulos emphasizes. “Please remember that 100% of every donation through
‘Plant Your Roots in Greece’
goes directly to wildfire relief, either to victims or to reforestation,
according to the wish of the donor. We have been helping to reforest Greece
long before the recent catastrophe.”
|
Press Office 
