Social Grocery Store

The “Social Grocery Store” of Annousakeio Therapeutic Centre aims at protecting and supporting vulnerable population groups who are suffering from the consequences of the deep economic and social crisis.  To achieve these objectives, a set of horizontal actions, including psycho-social, are implemented to minimize the effects poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and social marginalization of individuals and families.

In particular Social Grocery Store is a crisis assistance program that distributes food, clothes and other stuff at least once a month to families with limited incomes.


Within the operation of the Social Grocery Store goods are offered to the beneficiaries at no charge, as described below:

  • packaged foods (legumes, macaroni)
  • frozen products (meat, fish)
  • olive oil
  • dairy products
  • fruits and vegetable
  • personal hygiene products
  • baby and toddler products
  • clothing and footwear
  • household equipment
  • materials that meet educational and recreational needs (e.g. books, board games, toys etc)

The objective of the aid is to cover primary needs of the needy inhabitants in order to maintain their dignity and support their reintegration into local community. Aid recipients are: Greek citizens, Greek expatriates, foreigners and ex-prisoners.

In more detail, the Social Grocery Store serves:

  • Lonely people on a low income or unemployed
  • Low-income couples or families, affected by socioeconomic problems and unemployment
  • People with special needs or people with an assessed disability of at least 67% who are suffering from financial difficulty

 

The documents required for inclusion in the Social Grocery Storestructure is:

  • Applicant’s application
  • Photocopy of ID card or passport
  • Dependency Status.
  • A certificate of residence from the municipality
  • A copy of the last income tax return or tax return.

The Holy Metropolis of Kissamos and Selinon and the social partnership of Crete Region have signed a protocol on Cooperation for the purpose of the implementation of the program “Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD)”. FEAD program supports EU countries’ actions to provide food and basic material assistance to the most deprived.  Under this operational program 48 families who live under the poverty line are provided with living essentials at regular intervals.


In 2016, the Social Grocery Store distributed 1.450 bags with a variety of food and basic material assistance (16 kg each, 23.200 kg totally) to 288 families who live within the provinces of the Holy Metropolis of Kissamos and Selinon. The bags of food were distributed as follows:

  • 93 families picked up their bags from the Social Grocery Store on a monthly basis
  • 119 bags were distributed to families by the priests of their parishes
  • 66 individuals who had joined the “Home Care Service of Kisamos” and “Home Care Service of Kantanos” programs were given their bags by the structures’ staff during their visits.
  • 10 bags were distributed by the women’s charitable association of Kastelli.

This initiative is possible with the practical support of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi that provides our Metropolis with legumes, macaroni, fruit and vegetable, meat and dairy products on a regular basis.  It is worth mentioning that our Metropolis’ parishes, the Volunteer Samaritans, Rescuers and Lifeguard Corps of Hellenic Red Cross (Kastelli branch), the Municipality of Platanias, the supermarket chains “SYNKA” and “Lidl” as well as many of our fellow citizens express their love and compassion to the needy of society while they have an active and effective involvement in our mission by donating significant amounts of food products.