ATHENS – The SOS Children's Villages received a significant donation from the Greek Cremation Society (GCS) a non-governmental organization which holds a 30 percent stake in the first crematorium in Greece at Ritsona. The donation was announced by GCS President Antonis Alakiotis, who stated that with this move, “death becomes a source of life for children.”

According to an October 20 news release, the GCS fully shares the basic principle of SOS Children's Villages: “‘Every child has the right to belong to a family and to grow up with love, respect, and security.’ The SOS Family is part of the wider society and each of us must contribute to the future of our children. The GCS believes that you must prove in practice your interest in fellow human beings and especially in the most vulnerable part of our society which is children without a suitable family environment. That is why he proceeded with this donation, in order for the SOS Children's Villages to have the necessary financial resources to help children in need.”

George Protopapas, General Manager of SOS Children's Villages, on behalf of the Board of Directors, which unanimously accepted the donation, said: "The important decision of the GCS to donate a percentage of its shares to SOS Children's Villages gives another dimension to the concept of giving as it is associated with loss but at the same time connecting death with life creates a continuous perspective of stable income for children in need. The development of philanthropy and charity in our country on a cultural, spiritual, and social level is inextricably linked to the bequest from our eminent benefactors or to donations made in memory. However, this donation has the special feature of timelessness and, of course, reflects in a different way the sense of social responsibility and solidarity of the members of the GCS.”

A few words about the work of SOS Children's Villages

SOS Children's Villages Greece is a member of SOS Children’s Villages International, which operates in 136 countries. In Greece, SOS Children's Villages is a specially recognized Charitable Association, founded in 1975, with the aim of protecting children who have lost or are in danger of losing the care of their biological parents. Aiming for each child to grow up in a family, the SOS Children's Villages operate the following programs: SOS Children's Villages in Vari, Plagiari in Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis and Heraklion; Youth Homes in Athens and Thessaloniki; SOS Children's Hostel in Athens; Child and Family Support Centers in Athens, Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Kalamata, Komotini, Patras, Piraeus, and Sapes, Rodopi; Learning and Educational Support Centers in Athens, Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Kalamata, and Patras.

More information about the SOS Children’s Villages Greece is available online: https://sos-villages.gr/en/home-en/.