Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to congratulate a very special group in my electorate in South Australia and indeed across Australia, and that is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia for their energy, commitment and initiative in fundraising. They have been fundraising to assist the people in Greece who are homeless, who are destitute, who have lost their jobs because of the financial crisis. They have raised funds here in Australia—over $320,000—under the auspices of his eminence Archbishop Stylianos and they have sent over $320,000 to be distributed to different homeless centres, such as the Homeless Foundation in Athens, for the provision of a meals centre which feeds over 1,200 destitute people every single day in Athens.

These soup kitchens or homeless centres are struggling to cope with demand at the moment. There are so many people out of work. The economic crisis has been cruel, especially to workers, but crueller still to older people living on very meagre pensions and those who depend on their children to support them. Today, many of their children have lost their jobs. One in five people in Greece are now unemployed along with over half of the nation's young people—that is 20 per cent unemployment and around 50 per cent for young people. These are absolutely shocking statistics, and it has been terrible to read about the sharp increase in suicides that have taken place in Greece since the economic crisis began.

In the past these homeless centres mainly served immigrants, many of whom were struggling to survive, and refugees. The deputy mayor told me when I was there recently that they estimate around 500,000 unauthorised migrants are living in the centre of Athens. That is an astronomical issue that they have to deal with, as well as the global financial crisis and their economic crisis. But now three to four people eating at soup kitchens are actually locals who rely on handouts to survive. I was fortunate to be there just recently, in my role as a board member of the World Hellenic International Association. I took the opportunity to visit one of these organisations which is working so hard to support the people in need, one of the organisations that benefitted out of the fundraising that was done here under the Orthodox Archdiocese. With the help of the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Mrs Jenny Bloomfield, and the Deputy Mayor of Athens, we arranged a visit to one of these centres. The Deputy Mayor, Mr Provatas, is a magnificent man who is so committed to trying to help the destitute and homeless people in the city of Athens. Along with the Ambassador, who does a great job in Athens for Australia, we were accompanied by the president of the Shelter for the Homeless, Mr Apostolopoulus, who is a councillor, and I am very thankful to him for the time he took to explain the current situation. What we saw there was both uplifting, because of the enormous energy by volunteers to assist, but very deeply sorrowful as well—(Time expired)