$ 75,- raised for Hot Meals for Victoria

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the restaurant Guerilla Gourmet and its owner James Canter. Together, they have raised $ 75,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

When Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm, it left thousands of Crossroads residents without water or power. James Canter started cooking and he hasn't stopped. He owns the Guerrilla Gourmet restaurant located on the first floor of the Victoria Advocate. He has cooked food for more than 30 years.

Canter, 45, wasted no time getting his staff together to begin serving free meals to anyone who showed up at the restaurant. All he asked is that the customers pay what they could or wanted to, with the donations going to the cause. In a five-day span, Canter and his staff fed more than 4,000 people in the Crossroads.

Canter encourages those who are hungry or without food to stop by the restaurant at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. According to Canter:

"Food is our common thread as a race. Food brings people together. Just seeing the smiles of what a simple bowl of soup can bring is incredible. As long as there are people who need food and comfort, we're going to give it to them. We're in it for the long haul."

The raised funds go towards providing meals to ground crews and anyone that needs a hot meal in hurricane-stricken Victoria.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before September 30th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 80,- raised for Mrs. Beazoglou's Magnificent Mythology

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for Mrs. Beazoglou's Magnificent Mythology. Together, they have raised $ 80,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

Mrs. Beazoglou is a teacher at the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy in Hartford, CT, USA. This year her students will be reading the "The Lightning Thief." This fantasy-adventure based novel is based on Hellenic mythology. Unfortunately, her students come to school with little background or understanding about Hellenic myths. Beazoglou's goal is to build a classroom library of mythology books for her students to access after she teaches a concept or gives a book talk to learn more about a particular God or myth. It will also allow her students to make connections from "The Lightning Thief" to the old Hellenic myths.

The students will get reading instruction through a literature circle model. This model is a book club where each student is given a role to be an expert on the assigned chapter. Students will then meet as a group to discuss their findings and dive deeper into the message or theme of each book.The project is for grade 6-8 students. More than half of them come from low-income households.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before September 1st. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving! 

$ 80,- raised for The United Hellenismos Association

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for The United Hellenismos Association! Together, they have raised $ 80,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

The United Hellenismos Association is a Non-Profit Organization whose main purposes are education, orthopraxy, and keeping the Hellenic spirit and virtues alive throughout the world. It has just recently hit its one year mark and it continues to grow and develop communities throughout the US, and slowly the world. The UHA supports the training of a well educated priest/priestess program as well as will sponsor pagan chaplains for qualified individuals.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before August 3rd. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 90,- raised for Mission Blue

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for Mission Blue! Together, they have raised $ 90,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

The earth's oceans are the largest ecosystems on Earth, they are the Earth’s largest life support systems. Oceans generate half of the oxygen people breathe. At any given moment, more than 97% of the world’s water resides in oceans. Oceans provide a sixth of the animal protein people eat. They’re the most promising source of new medicines to combat cancer, pain and bacterial diseases. Living oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce the impact of climate change. The diversity and productivity of the world’s oceans is a vital interest for humankind. Our security, our economy, our very survival all require healthy oceans.

Yet, we're systematically destroying them. Pollution, logging, dredging, draining of wetlands, and coastal development are all factors that lead to marine habitat destruction and the death of entire species of marine life. We're reaching a tipping point. Before long, the oceans won't be able to sustain our way of life anymore. Once this happens, the earth's atmosphere will become incapable of sustaining us, and we will all die. This says nothing about the billions of animals dying a year, the tons of junk we drop in the oceans, leading to dead zones where nothing can grow, and on, and on, and on.

Mission Blue hopes to preserve the healthy ocean we have left, and restore dead zones by creating Hope Spots. Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean — Earth’s blue heart. Hope Spots are about recognizing, empowering and supporting individuals and communities around the world in their efforts to protect the ocean.

World renowned marine biologist Sylvia Earle introduced the concept in her 2009 TED talk and since then the idea has inspired millions across the planet. While about 12 percent of the land around the world is now under some form of protection (as national parks etc.), less than four percent of the ocean is protected in any way. Hope Spots allow us to plan for the future and look beyond current marine protected areas (MPAs), which are like national parks on land where exploitative uses like fishing and deep sea mining are restricted. Hope Spots are often areas that need new protection, but they can also be existing MPAs where more action is needed. They can be large, they can be small, but they all provide hope.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before July 7th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 70,- raised for the National Alliance on Mental Illness

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the National Alliance on Mental Illness! Together, they have raised $ 70,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, they are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

NAMI relies on gifts and contributions to support their work. They educate, advocate, listen to sufferers through the toll-free NAMI HelpLine, and lead awareness campaigns through public awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week and NAMIWalks, successfully fight stigma and encourage understanding. All in order to make sure America understands how important mental health is.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before June 5th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 70,- raised for Oxfam International

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for Oxfam International! Together, they have raised $ 70,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

Over 21 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya and South Sudan alone are suffering from hunger. The situation in South Sudan is particularly acute, as 3.2 million people are fleeing the terror of the civil war. A five-country study commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Niger, Mozambique and Malawi estimated that response at four months after a failed harvest costs $49 per household, whereas response at six months after harvest costs $1,294 per household. Oxfam International aims to offer help in the aforementioned areas and in the aforementioned way, and your donation helps them do so. So thank you!

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before April 7th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 65,- raised for The International Rescue Committee

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for The International Rescue Committee! Together, they have raised $ 65,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before March 9th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 75,- raised for the Malala Fund

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the Malala Fund! Together, they have raised $ 75,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

Malala Fund wants to see a world where every girl can complete 12 years of safe, quality education. They advocate—at local, national and international levels—for resources and policy changes needed to ensure all girls complete 12 years of school. They invest in developing country education leaders and organisations — the people who best understand girls in their communities—in regions where most girls miss out on secondary education. They amplify girls’ voices. Malala Fund believes adolescent girls should speak for themselves and tell leaders what resources they need to learn and achieve their potential.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before February 7th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 90,- raised for the Matthew Shepard Foundation

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the Matthew Shepard Foundation! Together, they have raised $ 90,- to help support this very worthy cause. Thank you very much!

  

On October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally attacked, simply for being gay and tied to a fence in a field outside of Laramie, Wyo. and left to die. On October 12, Matt succumbed to his wounds in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. In the aftermath of Matt’s death, Judy and Dennis Shepard started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor his life and aspirations.

Their work is an extension of Matt’s passion to foster a more caring and just world. They share his story and embody his vigor for civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept everyone as they are.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before January 9th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 80,- raised for Act4greece's restoration of the ancient theatre of Cassope

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the restauration of the ancient theatre of Cassope! Together, they have raised $ 80,- to help support this very worthy cause.

 

The Grand Theatre of Cassope is located in the ruined hill northwest of cassope. It was constructed in the 3rd century BC and had a capacity of about 2,500 people. According to some authors it could accommodate 6,000 people. It was the largest of a total of two theaters that existed in the city. The other, called the Conservatory of distinction, could seat 300 to 500 people. The large theater is now largely destroyed due to natural decay and is nearly inaccessible. This is about to change, though.

The act4Greece program is run by National Bank of Greece, with strategic partners including the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, the John S. Latsis Foundation, the Bodossaki Foundation, the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, and the Hellenic Network for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Diazoma, a citizens’ group that works to protect and promote Greece’s ancient monuments, recently came up with a proposal to include the Cassope theatre in the act4greece program – an idea that received the green light from National Bank. The target is set at 80,000 euros, and it must be reached by December 31. They are currently not even half way there, but we have hope!

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before December 10th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 65,- raised for the American Friends of the Blind in Greece

We are proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have come through for the American Friends of the Blind in Greece! Together, they have raised $ 65,- to help support this very worthy cause.

For over sixty-five years, the American Friends of the Blind in Greece has focused their attention on providing education and services for the blind and visually impaired in Greece. The American Friends of the Blind is committed to connecting people with the resources and knowledge they need to live an active and independent life.

Additionally, The American Friends of the Blind works closely with their sister organization The Lighthouse for the Blind, located in Greece. The Lighthouse for the Blind provides a variety of programs and services to the blind and the visually impaired with the shared goal to give each individual the training and support they need to live an independent and fulfilling life.

They would not be able to provide these critical services without your support. Your donation makes an important difference. Thank you again for your generosity.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before November 10th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving!

$ 135,- raised for Sea-Watch

In a massive coming together of Pandora's Kharis members, we have raised $ 135,- (€ 122,-) for our democratically decided upon cause, Sea-Watch. As always, you have all given generously, and in the spirit of the Gods!

Since the year 2000 more than 23.000 people have died trying to reach Europe’s shores. Three business partners from Germany decided to found the non-profit NGO Sea-Watch e.V. in an effort to bring down those numbers. Since November 2015 Sea-Watch is working between Lesbos and the Turkish mainland to prevent further deaths in this part of the Mediterranean Sea, recording the highest number of drowned refugees in 2015.

The ship MS Sea-Watch was bought and refitted with a crew of volunteers, working day and night to make the vessel suitable for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. Due to scarce financial resources Sea-Watch had to improvise in terms of technical solutions. The success of the project was based mostly on hard work and the collaborative effort of a highly professional and motivated team. This was and remains Sea-Watch’s biggest asset. At the end of the launch season of the project, Sea-Watch can look back on a summer where it has been able to save the lives of more than 2.000 people found in distress at sea throughout seven missions.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before July 15th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

$110,- raised for Giving for Greece

Elaion is proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have raised $110,- for our democratically decided upon cause, Giving for Greece, set up in 2016 by the Bodossaki Foundation, one of the oldest charitable foundations set up in Greece. As always, you have all given generously, and in the spirit of the Gods!

The Giving Centre is a welcoming environment for anyone who shares the vision of giving for a better Greece. Their mission is to inspire, empower and enable people, stakeholders and business entities to contribute to Greece’s well-being. You have helped them make this mission possible. Thank you!

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. Please pitch your cause before May 17th. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

$ 90,- raised for Dominick Lawniczak Evans and Ashley Guillory

Elaion is proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have raised $ 90,- for our two causes, Dominick Lawniczak Evans and Ashley Guillory.As always, you have all given generously, and in the spirit of the Gods! Thank you! Both causes will recieve $ 45,-

Dominick Lawniczak Evans
Dominick's full story can be found here, but in short, Dominick has two huge problems that are creating impenetrable barriers to his independence. First, his hoyer lift (the lift that gets him from the bed to his wheelchair) is old and unsafe. The second problem is his wheelchair. A highly documented mess from day one, Dominick's wheelchair is about three years old and has been fixed well over 20 times and has had the base replaced at least once. Dominick is fighting with his insurance company to get a new wheelchair, but it's a slow going process and until he gets one, he spends most of his time in bed. Now with the addition of the lift problems, he spends all of his time in bed.

Ashley Guillory
Ashley Guillory is 33 years old, married, and has a daughter and step-son. Ten years ago, she had a brain tumor removed and with a recent trip to Houston Ashley and her family found out she will need another brain surgery to remove a cyst in the middle of her brain. The neurologist found an area of concern in her cerebellum. Now, brain surgery is invasive and very expensive. The family is looking for help to cover these excessive costs and you can help with any and all amounts. Every little bit will help.


From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

$60,- raised for The Donkey Sanctuary

Elaion is proud to announce that Pandora's Kharis members have raised $60,- for our democratically decided upon cause the The Donkey Sanctuary. As always, you have all given generously, and in the spirit of the Gods!

The Donkey Sanctuary was founded in 1969 by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen MBE and supports projects in 27 countries worldwide. It reaches out to those in greatest need through the provision of permanent refuge and veterinary services to alleviate their suffering. Over 50 million donkeys and mules exist in the world. Many need care and protection from a life of suffering and neglect, whilst others have a vital role to play in human survival and happiness; they are at the heart of everything they do at The Donkey Sanctuary.

This means The Donkey Sanctuary can provide food, shelter and love for a single donkey for ten days at the sanctuary in Sidmouth. Or that it can keep their rescue vehicles on the road for 12 hours – saving donkeys from terrible conditions. Or that they can hire a farrier to trim long and painful hooves and treat uncomfortable foot conditions for three donkeys, or two visits from the equine dentist to rasp teeth and remove any uncomfortable sharp edges. Or, if they so decide, our donation will stock their medical supplies for one day to treat sick and injured donkeys overseas.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

$31,- raised for SyrianAid

In another somewhat slow but still succesful fundsraiser, the members of Pandora's Kharis have contributed $31,- for SyrianAid this month.

SyrienHilfe e.V. (SyriaAid , Aid to Syria Association) is an Organization that provides Humanitarian Aid in Syria. In order to provide personal and direct aid to the victims of the conflict in Syria, a group of doctors, engineers, archaeologists, teachers, and artists came together to found the charitable organization SyrienHilfe e.V. (SyriaAid).

The foundation works primarily inside Syria, but also in Lebanon and Turkey, to provide humanitarian and emergency aid to Syrian refugees. They undertake and support various self-help projects as well as training and education projects. And as far as they are able, they help with the care of orphans in Syria.

The aid SyriaAid provides is purely humanitarian and without any political motivation. Thanks to your donation and to the tireless engagement of our local helpers, they hope to deliver direct aid to as many people in Syria as possible. They aim to provide the victims of this crisis not only with food, clothing, lodgings, and medical services, but to give them psychological and moral support as well, to help them reestablish their sense of dignity. To give them support and to show them: You are not forgotten!

From this moment on, pitches are open on the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page. You can vote for your desired cause until November 22, 2015. Thank you in advance!

$31,- raised for Doctors of the World Greece

It was a bit of a slow (and short notice) fundsraiser, but $ 31,- have been raised for Doctors of the World Greece. Thank you for your donations, if you have made one!

Médecins du Monde / Doctors of the World is an international Non – Governmental, independent, humanitarian organization, which was founded in 1980 by 15 French doctors that believed in bearing witness and providing direct access to medical care for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The first and foremost mission of Médecins du Monde is to provide treatment. Actions though are not limited to medical care: always based on its medical experience and acting independently, MdM is vocal against the obstruction of access to healthcare and the violation of human rights and dignity. Firm supporters of human rights, they are against racism, xenophobia and the social isolation and marginalization of social groups.

These are the principles underlying the establishment of the organization «Médecins du Monde» which later began to spread in other countries (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA), creating an international network of Humanitarian Relief organizations dedicated to provide medical care to populations while fighting for equal access to healthcare worldwide. MdM has become today an integral and important part of the international network of Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organizations.

From this moment on, pitches are open on the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page. You can vote for your desired cause until October 22, 2015. Thank you in advance!

$125,- raised for The Greek Archaeological Committee (UK)

In an inspiring push, Pandora's Kharis members have come together to raise $125,- for The Greek Archaeological Committee (UK). I am once more very happy to be able to say you have all given generously, and in the spirit of the Gods!

The money will be used to award scholarships for post-graduate studies in British Universities to students of Hellenic ethnicity, of moderate means, who have obtained a first-class degree or equivalent in their previous studies from reputable universities.

As there is currently not a possibility to donate directly, we are in talks with GACUK to get the money transferred. Of course, we will keep you informed!

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

$86,- raised for 'Project Prentenboek'

I am very happy to anounce that 80 euros (roughly 86 dollars) was raised for Project Prentenboek (project picturebook) during this month's fundsraiser. You have made me very, very proud, and very happy. Thank you very much!

 

Project picturebook is the initiative of Maaike Kramer and Marjolein Witte, Dutch artists and art teachers, who are working hard to crowdfund a new project. They are in the process of creating a picturebook for and by refugee children in The Netherlands (although the book will be translated into many languages after publishing (including English, Arabic, and French)). They came into contact with these kids after being asked by the local government to make a mural at the refugee centre and afterwards they just wanted to do... more. So they started teaching art classes at the kids' school and now they will use their stories and their drawing in a picture book that is meant to help non-refugee children (and adults) understand these kids, and for refugee children to see themselves reflected in the pages of a beautiful book.

 

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving.

$65,- raised for the fundraiser for the Bakcheion

With another successful donation run, we have raised $65,- for the fundraiser for the Bakcheion, raising the total to $741,-! Formed with the sole intent of hosting a Dionysian ritual at Many Gods West 2015, the Bakcheion includes members from all over the United States and the polytheist and pagan spectrums. The ritual will be held on the 1st of August at the conference hotel. The ritual will be open to registered participants and conference members. It will include a devotional performance, music and offerings in honour of Dionysos and His retinue.

I would like to thank you for your generosity, and for bringing the goal a little closer for the many volunteers working on this event. From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community. On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving.