The renovated premises of the Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disability (KAAPA) of Karditsa were sanctified and inaugurated today. The renovated facilities have a surface area of 500 m2, and their completion will decongest the existing premises of the Centre, which currently accommodates 103 children. This project will allow the Centre to help a greater number of children and to significantly improve the services it offers. The renovation in question and the purchase of a new bus were jointly funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and are part of a general programme for the improvement of the Centre’s infrastructure, which was launched 3 years ago, in order to enhance the provided services.

At the inauguration ceremony, Ms Agoritsa Chantzopoulou, Administrator of the Centre, stressed that:

“We believe that our Centre would not have been able to complete its infrastructure –at a time when the crisis stopped everything– if it were not for the donations of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation. Thanks to this important renovation project, we now have these excellent facilities for our children, which we present to you today, while increasing our centre’s capacity. On behalf of the BoD and employees of the KAAPA of Karditsa, but mainly on behalf of the children that we accommodate and will accommodate, I would like to sincerely thank both Foundations.”

In her greeting, Ms Elly Andriopoulou, Chief Operating Officer of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, said that:

“The deepening crisis that our country is experiencing brings to the forefront, even more vividly, the imperative need and the moral duty that all the creative powers of the country cooperate, in order to deal as effectively as possible with the serious consequences of the current socioeconomic crisis. Today’s donation is the result of the cooperation between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation. We are particularly satisfied both with the cooperation and with its results, which we see here today. We hope that the decision of the two Foundations to join their forces to effectively support this organisation will find many imitators and will set an example and inspire other similar initiatives.”

Mr Dimitris Afendoulis, Secretary of the Executive Board of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, stressed that:

“Beyond the obvious importance of improving the necessary social welfare infrastructure, this project marks the cooperation between two major public benefit organisations of Greece. We believe that the concept of cooperation is very important for our country, especially under the current circumstances; it is important, firstly, from a material point of view, but also, secondly, from a moral and symbolic point of view.”

The 3-year upgrade programme

The programme for the upgrade of the infrastructure of the KAAPA of Karditsa included the following:

1. Energy upgrade and significant reduction of the Centre’s operating expenses, by installing a natural gas network, installing state-of-the-art solar water heaters, installing photovoltaic panels on the roof, replacing old equipment etc.
2. Creation of separate children’s rooms for educable children, a department for babies, a playground, a meeting room etc.
3. Renovation of the children and staff areas, creation of a guest house for members of the staff who come from a different region, upgrade of the kitchen areas and storage rooms and training of the kitchen staff according to the HACCP programme.
4. Renovation of two flats that will immediately house 12 children, who live in a rented guest house.
5. Interventions both on the exterior of the Centre and in the surrounding area and creation of an outdoor playground (it still needs to be equipped) and a big walking area with grass for the children.

Note to journalists

The Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disability (KAAPA) of Karditsa was founded in 1966 as the Child Care Centre (KEPEP) of Karditsa and was recently renamed pursuant to Law 4025/2011. It is a public legal entity, and it is supervised by the Ministry of Labour. It is housed in a building located at the limits of the Municipality of Karditsa, and its aim is to offer closed care to children with severe and multiple disabilities.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is one of the biggest charitable organisations in the world, and it makes donations in the fields of art and culture, education, health and social welfare. Through its donations, the Foundation supports organisations that demonstrate effective management and proper administration and are expected to have a significant, timeless and positive impact on society. Moreover, the Foundation actively supports programmes that help to create public-private partnerships, as an effective means to promote the common good.

From 1996 to the present day, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has approved the granting of EUR 1.06 billion (USD 1.39 billion) in total, through 2,508 donations to non-profit organisations in 109 countries around the world. More than 80% of the total amount of the donations made by the Foundation was granted to organisations and initiatives in Greece.

As a response to the continuous socioeconomic crisis in Greece, the Foundation announced in January 2012 an initiative to make available, within three years, an additional EUR 100 million (USD 130 million), in order to help alleviate the adverse effects of the deepening crisis. Since then, as part of this initiative, the Foundation has made available EUR 72 million (USD 93 million) to support various non-profit organisations across the country, while the process for the approval of additional donations is currently being carried out.

The Foundation’s biggest single donation (EUR 566 million/USD 796 million) is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) in Athens. Construction works on the site have already started. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation firmly believes that it is a project of great national importance, especially under the current socioeconomic circumstances. It is a tribute and a commitment to the future of the country at a critical, historical point in time. It is also a lever for short and medium-term economic growth, which is very important under the current circumstances.

The John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation was established in 2005, thus continuing the long tradition of offering by John Latsis, and its action covers a wide range of sectors, such as education and scientific research, social welfare, culture etc. In order to help the vulnerable groups of Greek society, who suffer the most from the repercussions of the current financial crisis, it has put in place the ‘It Is Our Duty’ emergency Social Solidarity Programme, in cooperation with public benefit foundations, Holy Metropolises and Parishes, Non-Governmental Organisations, Local Government Organisations and institutional organisations that are active in the sector of social welfare and care.

The actions are aimed at directly supporting crisis-stricken individuals and complementing and enhancing similar actions implemented by state and non-state organisations, or other public benefit foundations of our country. The main pillars are (a) the provision of food aid and (b) the funding of initiatives and, in general, the provision of support to certain non-governmental organisations or institutional organisations, which have the know-how and the ability to intervene with respect to matters of social protection and solidarity, with priority being given to the most vulnerable groups, such as children, the new poor, the homeless and the unemployed.