Great need for daily school meals in vulnerable areas
July 31th, 2019
For the eighth consecutive school year, the Program on Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition – DIATROFI is implemented by the Prolepsis Institute in public schools of vulnerable areas. In the past school year, the Program was implemented in 100 schools, providing healthy meals to 6,127 students every day.
Schools in Attica, Central Greece, Thrace and Arcadia (North Kynouria) participate in the Program this school year. The students received a total of 656,186 healthy meals, including: 220,716 milk packs, 103,919 yogurt packs, 656,186 fruits and 656,186 sandwiches, vegetable pies or other bakery products.
The Institute’s aim is to continue to cater to the urgent need for daily nutritious school meals in vulnerable areas. It is significant that 1,216 schools from all over Greece, attended by 113,437 pupils, applied to be included in the Program for the 2018 – 2019 school year. The Prolepsis Institute is making a call for the state, regional and local authorities, institutions, companies and citizens from Greece and abroad, to support this Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition Program in order to reach as many children as possible in the following school year.
Since 2012, the DIATROFI Program has been a key pillar of support for thousands of students and families: more than 15 million meals in 650 schools have been provided to approximately 110,000 students throughout Greece. It has been scientifically proved that the Program combats effectively food insecurity and improves children’s nutritional habits, protecting in this way their physical and mental health.
The Program is being implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation as a Founding Donor.
In the 2018 – 2019 school year, AB Vassilopoulos was proclaimed the Program’s Gold Donor, providing 186,704 meals, supporting more than 1,500 students across 25 schools daily. Over the past 5 years, with the company’s remarkable and enduring contribution, more than 890,000 meals have been offered, benefiting – both financially and in terms of health promotion – thousands of families around Greece.
In addition, in the previous school year, hundreds of people from Greece and abroad, supported the Program. Significant amounts of funds were offered by: the Administrative Region of Sterea Ellada, the Municipality of North Kynouria, the Welfare Foundation for Social and Cultural Affairs (KIKPE), the Greek Shipowners’ Social Welfare Company SYN-ENOSIS, MYTILINEOS, GENESIS Pharma, Athens International Airport, Intracom Telecom, HEDNO (Operator of the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network), BP Hellenic Petroleum SA, Nuevo SA, SouthBridge Europe Mezzanine, AKTOR SA, Alpha Bank, Plaisio Computers SA, Segas, Non-Profit Civil Company AEGEAS, Ethniki Insurance Company,CréditAgricole Life, Antonios and Ioannis Angelicoussis Foundation, Minerva SA Edible Oils & Food Enterprises, NIREUS AQUACULTURE SA, Parents & Guardians Association of Athens College Elementary School, International School of Athens (ISA), Playland Nursery School, Campion School, CGS (Costeas-Geitonas School), AFCO, AbbVie.
“Once again this year we have supported children who do not have access to sufficient and safe food and we have promoted healthy eating habits through daily offering of healthy meals and educational activities in schools. This effort, which began in 2012 and has contributed into changing the daily lives of more than 110,000 students, needs to be continued and extended. We are grateful to the foundations, companies, organizations and to hundreds of fellow citizens who support us and who stand alongside our children in Greece,” said Mrs. Athena Linos, Professor in the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and President of the Prolepsis Institute.
