Queens, NY – The Greek Elder Care Network, in collaboration with the Hellenic American Project and The Eftychia Project, is thrilled to announce the first Hellenic-American Project Oral History Interview to be taped in front of a live audience on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The event begins at 6:30 pm at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25-02 Newtown Ave, Queens, NY 11102.
This fascinating evening is open to the public and will be done in a talk show-style theater setting. Dr. Nicholas Alexiou, the founder and director of the Hellenic-American Project (HAP) and a sociology professor at Queens College, CUNY, will interview Eftychia (Linda Carol Trotter), a Greek-born adoptee and the founder/president of the nonprofit organization, The Eftychia Project. The Eftychia Project, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2024, assists and supports, free of charge, Greek adoptees searching for their roots and Greek families searching for their children lost to adoption.
This event is set to document the profound impact and historical significance of the adoptions abroad of thousands of Greek children, mainly to the USA, in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as raise awareness about this sad page of Greek history among the Greek diaspora and the general public. Dr. Alexiou will lead the conversation, bringing his extensive expertise and passion for preserving Hellenic-American history to the forefront. Eftychia will share her own story, her work with The Eftychia Project, and its mission to amplify the voices of over 4,000 Greek-born adoptees, whose stories are often lost in the broader intercountry adoption narrative.
This live interview promises to be a profoundly moving and informative experience, offering the audience a rare glimpse into personal stories of identity, heritage, and reunion. The interview will contribute to HAP’s extensive archives of the Hellenic American experience, which is recognized by the US Library of Congress. An audience Q&A will follow the interview, and Greek adoptees from across the country will be present to answer questions and discuss their own stories with audience members.
Please join us for this first-of-its-kind event. Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, as seating is limited. To reserve your tickets, please contact info@greekeldercarenetwork.com or call 929-289-6222, or contact The Eftychia Project at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com. For more information about Greek Elder Care Network, the Hellenic American Project or The Eftychia Project, visit their respective websites at www.greekeldercarenetwork.com, www.hapsoc.org, or www.theeftychiaproject.org.
***JOIN US FOR A GREEK ADOPTEE MEET-UP IN NYC IN TANDEM WITH THIS EVENT***We are already getting a great response to our public event in NYC! And while the event is open to the general public, we want any Greek adoptee who is able to, to please come and be with us in Astoria, the heart of the Greek community in New York. There is strength in numbers, and the more of us they see and hear, the more our story, the story of 4000 of us adopted abroad during a dark time in Greece's history, will be known. So, for everyone who says our once-a-year Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion is not enough, here is your opportunity to spend a weekend in NYC with your fellow Greek adoptees.
Currently, there are 10 Greek adoptees from 7 states who have confirmed attendance. So make plans now to join us and bring family and/or friends.
We've made some plans to do some things together, as follows:
- Any of you who will be in NYC on Friday, September 13, we will gather for dinner at a local restaurant (TBA), probably around 7:30 pm. Specific details will be dessiminated closer to the time.
- On Saturday, September 14 at noon, we will be attending together Greek Festival 2024 at Despina Kartson's chrurch, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle, NY.
- Saturday, September 14 @ 6:30 pm - Greek adoptee-related event at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria-Queens. There is an after event reception in the works, and we might also go somewhere in Astoria after that for drinks/food.
- Sunday, September 15, those who do not leave NYC until the afternoon are planning to visit the 9/11 Memorial in the morning.
Most of us are arriving on Friday afternoon and departing on Sunday afternoon. Several of us are staying at the Aloft Hotel Long Island - Manhattan View, but please feel free to stay wherever fits your budget or where you have hotel points. Most of us plan on Ubering around the city and are not planning on renting a vehicle.
Please let us know ASAP if you are able to join us so we can put you on the list for free tickets. We need to know who/how many are coming, as the seating in the theater is limited. We are looking forward to seeing you all there in 24 days!
