The Eftychia Project

"Helping Greek Adoptees Find Their Roots"

Don't miss it! Registration is now open!
Third Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion
June 20-22, 2024
Louisville, Kentucky

Please note, we are always adding new pages to our website. Please keep checking for updates.
Ever since our President, Eftychia/Linda Carol Trotter, found her Greek family in June 2017, she had it in her heart to "pay it forward", so to speak, by helping other Greek adoptees find theirs, at absolutely no cost to the adoptee. Out of that desire, and with the help of dear friends with like minds, The Eftychia Project was born. We are a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization classified as a public charity with tax-exempt status by the IRS. Donations to our organization are tax-deductible (Pub 78).

We are devoted to providing assistance and support to Greek-born adoptees searching for their roots and Greek families searching for their children lost to adoption. We also seek to advocate on behalf of all Greek-born adoptees with the Greek government concerning the issues of transparency about our adoptions, unfettered access to our adoption and birth records, a DNA database for adoptees and their biological families, and Greek citizenship for all Greek-born adoptees. Our current board of directors consists of 4 Greek-born adoptees and a Greek family member searching for their lost children: President, Linda Carol Trotter; Vice-President, Pangiota "Toula" Vrisiotis; Treasurer, Merrill Jenkins; Secretary, Dimitrios Christo; Board Member, Steven Graeter.

While we aid Greek-born adoptees (those born in and adopted from/in Greece) from any era, we especially want to assist the thousands of Greek children adopted by American parents in the scandal-ridden years between 1948 and 1962, as time is running out if we have any hope of finding our birth parents still living. Your interest and support of our efforts are greatly appreciated.

If you are a Greek adoptee looking for your Greek roots or a Greek family looking for an adoptee and you would like to request assistance, please send your request to the emails listed in the Contact Us section of the website, to our general email at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com or click on the Facebook link on the homepage to send a message to our Facebook account. For media inquiries, please send your requests to info@theeftychiaproject.org

SEE COMPLETE DETAILS BELOW FOR SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION & HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

THIRD ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY JUNE 20-22, 2024 - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN image

***REGISTER NOW FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION, JUNE 20-22, 2024, IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY!***COMPLETE DETAILS BELOW FOR SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION & HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS***

This year, there will not be a conference or speakers, just lots of fun, fellowship and bonding with our fellow Greek adoptees. Bring your spouse/partner/children/travel buddy and join us for an amazing time of building community and connectivity. All Greek adoptees, regardless of group or organization affiliation, are invited and welcome to attend.

Thursday, June 20, 2024 - 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Our time together begins on Thursday evening with a Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party in the Backstretch ballroom, with food, drinks, Greek music & dancing, goody bags and program guide for all participants.

Friday, June 21, 2024 & Saturday, June 22, 2024
Our Friday and Saturday group activities will include a trip to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory & Museum and a visit to Old Louisville, one of the largest Victorian districts and one of the most haunted places in the USA. Plus plenty of free time to explore Louisville's beautiful riverfront and its iconic bourbon distilleries.

Searching for biological family and/or have questions about DNA and genealogy? Just want to sit and talk with other adoptees and share your stories? The Jockey Boardroom is open both Friday and Saturday afternoon from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Bring your adoption documents and get help in real time from the board of directors and our volunteers, who will be available to assist you. The Boardroom will also be open for adoptees to just sit, relax, have a drink and chat with each other about any and everything Greek/Greek adoptee.

The Reunion finale will be a Farewell Dinner on Saturday night at the iconic Louisville restaurant , Captain's Quarters, in the private Veranda overlooking the Ohio River. We've planned an exciting program for our final night together, including Greek-themed door prizes and the announcement of the location of the Fourth Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion 2025. So, get ready for an amazing experience -- we can't wait to see you all there!

Venue: Cambria Hotel Louisville Downtown - Whiskey Row, 120 South Floyd Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Hotel Booking Link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/UO79G6
We have a block of rooms at a discounted group rate of $129 for Single/King or $135 for Double/2 Queens. If you plan to room with someone, arrange with that person first, then designate one of you to book the room. No payment is required at the time of booking, but a credit card is required to hold the reservation. If you are interested in sharing a room with someone but don't have anyone in mind, send us an email at greekadopteereunion@gmail.com with "Roommate" in the subject line and we will add you to a roommate list so that we can put potential roommates in touch with each other. If for some reason they do not have your preferred room type still available when you book, let us know and we will have them add more rooms to the block.
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/SBLmQXSL8JDLgSuM8 (follow this link to register, then follow the links below to pay for registration).
Registration includes the following:
Reunion credentials, goody bag, program guide, Welcome Reception & Cocktail Party with Greek music & dancing, group tour of Churchill Downs & Kentucky Derby Museum, group ghost tour of Old Louisville, group tour of Louisville Slugger Bat Factory & Museum (free souvenir mini bat included), and Farewell Dinner at Captain's Quarters with a fabulous buffet, dinner program, and Greek-themed door prizes.
Cost: $100 per person
Payment for 1 person: https://square.link/u/DTmm2HXL
Payment for 2 persons in same family/group: https://square.link/u/uYKTi8vt

FAQ's - Frequently asked questions

1. What does the Registration fee include?
The $100.00 registration fee inlcudes Reunion credentials, goody bag, program guide, Welcome Reception & Cocktail Party with Greek music and dancing, group tour of Churchill Downs & Kentucky Derby Museum, group Ghost Tour of Old Louisville, group tour of Louisville Slugger Bat Factory & Museum, and Farewell Dinner at Captain's Quarters overlooking the Ohio River on the private Veranda, with a fabulous buffet, dinner program, and Greek-themed door prizes.

2. Can I bring my spouse/partner, other family member or a friend?
Adoptees are welcome to bring their spouse/partner, any other members of their family or a friend/travel buddy to the Reunion. The registration price is the same for all attendees. With inflation and the subsequent rise in prices for everything across the board, we are unable to offer a discount for the second person in a family this year. The cost of the registration is covering only the cost of the group activities and the farewell dinner - there is no other fee/cost added in over and above the actual costs of the Reunion.

3. When should I arrive in Louisville?
Plan to arrive sometime on Thursday, June 20, 2024. The first event of the Reunion, the Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party, will be at the hotel in the Backstretch Ballroom, 7:30 pm until 11:00 pm.

4. Does the hotel have parking? Is the hotel pet-friendly?
The hotel has limited parking available for $18 per day on a first-come, first-served basis. There are multiple parking garages near the hotel that offer overnight parking. The hotel is pet friendly - you may bring your furry friend for an additional charge of $75 for the entire stay.

5. How can I travel to Louisville?
We chose Louisville because of the myriad of fun activities it offers and because its location is a day's drive or less from 2/3 of the US population. Prefer to fly? The Louisville airport is accessible by direct flights from Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and has more than 35 nonstop flights per day between major US cities. If you decide to drive and want company, consider asking another adoptee who lives nearby or whose home may be on the way to Louisville to carpool with you to the Reunion.

6. If I fly, what are my transportation options to get to the hotel?
There are 9 major rental car agencies at the airport: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless & Thrifty. For those preferring taxi service, catch a cab at the commercial curb outside baggage claim. Speedy service is just a click away for Lyft and Uber, located on the baggage claim level, on the west side of the terminal. There are a number of limo/van/private car services, as well as public transportation via bus. Several of the board memebrs will be driving to Louisville and will be happy to pick you up at the airport when you arrive if at all possible. Please be sure to give us your airline itinerary as soon as possible. We will do our best to return you to the airport on Sunday, however, we cannot guarantee that we can accomodate you for the return, depending upon your flight times.

7. What if I have special dietery needs?
There are some of you who may be vegetarians or have other dietary needs. Please let us know if there are any specific dietary needs and, while we cannot guarantee it, we will do our best to accomodate you.

Still have questions? Email us at greekadopteereunion@gmail.com or send a message to our Facebook page The Eftychia Project

Builing upon the amazing success of The First Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion, held in August 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, the Second Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion 2023, held in our homeland of Greece, not only gave Greek adoptees from America the chance to visit their home country, but also gave those Greek adoptees and families in Greece, all of Europe and elsewhere the opportunity to attend and connect with each other. The Reunion, held October 14-19, 2023 was the first time this many Greek adoptees gathered together in Greece since they were babies and young children in their orphanages in Greece. It was truly a magical time of bonding, sharing and support, with several adoptees visiting Greece for the first time since being adopted some six decades ago and others meeting Greek biological family for the very first time. Photos coming soon! Follow the links below for articles and videos about the Reunion:
From The National Herald
https://www.thenationalherald.com/greek-adoptees-poised-to-meet-in-greece-for-second-annual-reunion/
https://www.thenationalherald.com/historic-second-annual-reunion-in-greece-as-greek-adoptees-meet-in-the-homeland-photos/
From the Greek Reporter
https://greekreporter.com/2023/11/20/reunion-greek-adoptees-meet-greece/
From the Greek Press Service (APE-MPE)
https://www.amna.gr/home/article/768197/Xekinise-i-2i-sunantisi-ton-uiothetimenon-stin-Ameriki-paidion-apo-tin-Ellada
https://www.amna.gr/mobile/article/769223/Brike-ton-biologiko-tou-patera-meta-apo-63-chronia-kai-epestrepse-ekei-opou-perase-tous-protous-mines-tis-zois-tou
From Star channel (national Greek TV) popular morning show "Alithies me tin Zina"
https://www.facebook.com/staralithies/videos/865005461739533
From SKAI TV (national Greek TV) popular weekend show "Oi Dekatianoi"
https://fb.watch/oJNH9q-0rf/
From Alpha TV (national Greek TV) weekend news with Manesis:
https://www.facebook.com/100000924259726/videos/872721614448892/

Our thanks to our speakers, sponsors and advertisers:

ΤHE "ORPHANS" FROM GREECE (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES) - A POWERFUL DOCUMENTARY thumbnail

***WATCH THIS BEAUTIFULLY-DONE, AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY BY ACCLAIMED JOURNALIST ANDREAS BOUSIOS FOR VICE-TV SPECIALS***
In Τα "Ορφανά" από την Ελλάδα (The "Orphans" From Greece), the Greek adoptions of the the dark Cold War decades of the 1950's and 1960's are seen through the eyes of three different people: two Greek-born adoptees, Merrill Jenkins and Linda Carol Trotter, and a Greek family member searching for his lost siblings, Bobby Kalogeropoulos. The film won multiple awards at the recent DIME Digital Media Awards in Greece. Truly one of the best documentaries about this dark page in Greece's history.

Events - greek adoptees have voice at un meeting image

Thanks to Lynelle Long of ICAV (Intercountry Adoptee Voices), Greek-born adoptees had a voice in Geneva, Switzerland as the UN marked the one-year anniversary of the release of the Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoption. The program featured testimony from the lived experiences of intercountry adoptees and biological parents, with our own Eftychia/Linda Carol Trotter representing Greek-born adoptees and giving her powerful testimony about her own proxy adoption . Follow the link for an article about the meeting at the UN, as well as links to the video of the meeting and the text of Eftychia's testimony.

Article in The National Herald
https://www.thenationalherald.com/greek-adoptees-have-voice-at-united-nations-for-first-time/

Video of UN Meeting (Eftychia's’s powerful speech begins at the 1:38:14 mark)
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k16/k16z33p1uc

Text of Eftychia's speech
https://shorturl.at/iGMV2

The Eftychia Project & "My Big Fat greek wedding 3" image

***”We’re Just Like My Big Fat Greek Wedding” features The Eftychia Project***

It all started when, on a whim, Eftychia answered a casting call on Facebook for superfans of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. She never expected to hear anything back — after all, thousands of people responded to the call. But, suddenly, she was cast in a joint production of Focus Features and Rotten Tomatoes in conjunction with the release of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3”, which was filmed just 4 days before she left for Greece yet again. You can follow the link below to watch the video - watch until the very end to see a special little clip filmed in Nafpaktos. This was an amazing opportunity to bring the mission of The Eftychia Project to the attention of a much larger audience. We can’t wait to watch "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" - how about you?

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/were-just-like-my-big-fat-greek-wedding/

Information

For general information about The Eftychia Project, please contact us by clicking on the email link below.

Greek Adoptee Help

If you are a Greek adoptee looking for family members, please contact us by clicking on the email link below.

Greek Family Help

If you are a Greek family searching for loved ones, please contact us by clicking on the email link below.

The Eftychia Project is grateful for the outpouring of support we have received worldwide. If you would like to make a donation to The Eftychia Project to help us in continuing our mission of providing assistance and support to Greek adoptees searching for their roots and Greek families searching for their lost children, you may do so through our PayPal account or by mailing a check or money order to our mailing address The Eftychia Project, PO Box 682509, Franklin, TN 37068. Please make checks or money orders payable to "The Eftychia Project". We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kind and generous support!

$25

The Lost Children of cold war greece video thumbnail

The Eftychia Project is pleased to partner with MyHeritage to provide free DNA kits to Greek-born adoptees searching for their roots and Greek families searching for their children lost or, presumably lost, to adoption. MyHeritage is one of the largest DNA companies in the world and has the largest DNA database in Europe. We are grateful to MyHeritage for their generous donation of DNA kits and for their technical and research support. To visit the MyHeritage website: www.MyHeritage.com.

***IN 2021, THE EFTYCHIA PROJECT LAUNCHED A GREEK-BORN ADOPTEE-LED INITIATIVE FOR A DIALOGUE WITH THE GREEK GOVERNMENT CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY, ACCESS TO RECORDS, A DNA DATABASE AND GREEK CITIZENSHIP FOR ALL GREEK-BORN ADOPTEES***

***GREEK-BORN ADOPTEES, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!***

TEP is passionate about furthering the quest of a growing chorus of Greek-born adoptees for the Greek Citizenship they so rightfully deserve and the other pressing issues of supreme importance to all Greek-born adoptees/Greek biological families that need to be addressed by the Greek state which, at the very least, owes us the opportunity to present our concerns and the courtesy of hearing us out:

(1) We believe that the knowledge of their roots and their biological family origins are basic human rights of all adoptees

(2) We believe that Greek-born adoptees and Greek biological families are entitled to transparency from the Greek government and all Greek adoption-related institutions and organizations reagrding these adoptions

(3) We believe that Greek-born adoptees are entitled to unfettered access to Greek court, orphanage, institutional and organizational records related to their adoptions, as well as copies of ALL of their adoption-related documents

(4) We believe that Greek-born adoptees and Greek families are entitled to the establishment of an adoptee/biological family DNA database by the Greek state for the purpose of reuniting adoptees and their biological families, at no cost to either the adoptee or the biological family

(5) We believe that all Greek-born adoptees are entitled to Greek citizenship, and that the pathway to Greek citizenship should be streamlined, with minimal bureaucratic processes and at minimal or no cost to the adoptee

If you are a Greek-born adoptee, your input is vital for formulating this citizenship plan and presenting these issues to the Greek government. Your lived experiences are crucial to this initiative. If you would like to participate, please email us as soon as possible at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com and let us know of your interest and your contact information. We will then email you information regarding partcipation. It is our hope that by Greek-born adoptees working together, we will be able to convince the Greek government to right the wrongs of the past, to open the door to those documents and records to which we are entitled and to which access for many of us has been denied, to establish a DNA database through which we might be reunited with our biological families, and to reclaim the Greek citizenship that is our birthright. There is strength in numbers - let's work together and make what has long been a dream into a reality!

The Eftychia Project Website Privacy Policy

The Eftychia Project is a US-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization classified as a tax-exempt public charity. Our website is for informational purposes only and does not collect, process, manage or store data. We do not use cookies on our website that collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior information. Donations made on our website are made through a Donations button that links to PayPal and only your name, email address and donation amount are shared with us by PayPal. By choosing to donate through our website, you consent to the sharing of your information. You can access PayPal’s privacy policy here: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full

You can read our organization’s complete privacy policy below. For any questions regarding this policy, pleaser email us at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com.

The Eftychia Project, Inc. Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12/1/2023

Our contact details

Name: The Eftychia Project, Inc.

Address: PO Box 682509, Franklin, TN 37064 USA

Phone Number: +1 615 305 1835 or +30 697 452 5522

E-mail: theeftychiaproject@gmail.com

The type of personal information we collect We currently collect and process the following information:

Name and contact details, birthdate where appropriate, and other personal information that will help us to provide search and reunion or other related services for adopted persons and biological families.

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

To deliver and facilitate delivery of services to the users. We may process your information to provide adoptees and biological families with search and reunion or other related services.
To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may process your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any issues you may have with the requested services.
To send administrative information to you. We may process your information to send you details about our services, events, changes to our policies, and other similar information.
To conduct reserach or generate statistics of legitimate interest on Greek adoptions and other adoption-related topics. All personal information used for this purpose will be anonymized to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

We use the information that you have given us in order to facilitate adopted persons’ searches for their roots and biological families’ searches for their children lost to adoption. As adoption is a sensitive subject, we may share this information only internally within our organization and only with those in our organization involved in the search/reunion process in order to facilitate search/reunion services for adoptees and biological families. We will obtain your consent before sharing with anyone outside our organization, and then only when absolutely necessary (for example, with a genealogist) to facilitate said search/reunion.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), for citizens of the European Union, the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting Linda Carol Trotter at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com

(b) We have a legitimate interest.

(c) We have a legal obligation.

How we store your personal information

We take the protection of your privacy and personal data seriously. We have implemented appropriate and reasonable security measures designed to protect the security of personal information we process. Although we do our best to safeguard your personal information, transmission of personal information to/from us by text, email or other electronic means is at your own risk. You should only transmit personal information from a secure environment. We do not maintain any online databases or collect personal information from our website, either directly or through the use of cookies. Donations made on our website are made through a Donations button that links to PayPal and only your name, email address and donation amount are shared with us by PayPal. You can access PayPal’s privacy policy here: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full

We keep the personal information we collect until the purpose for which it was collected is fulfilled, including but not limited to, search and reunion, post-reunion support services, research, events, etc., or until you withdraw your consent for our services. Once the purpose for which it was collected is fulfilled or you withdraw your consent, we will either anonymize your information or dispose of your information by either deleting the data securely from any personal computer files or by shredding any physical documents containing your personal information.

Your data protection rights

Under GDPR data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organization, or to you, in certain circumstances.

Your right to object - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. Please contact us at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com or PO Box 682509, Franklin, TN 37064 if you wish to make a request.

How to complain If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com.

The Eftychia Project

"Helping Greek Adoptees Find Their Roots"

About Us

THIRD ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY JUNE 20-22, 2024 - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

SEE COMPLETE DETAILS BELOW FOR SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION & HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

Second Annual Greek Adoptee/Greek Family Reunion 2023 a huge success!

ΤHE "ORPHANS" FROM GREECE (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES) - A POWERFUL DOCUMENTARY

Events - greek adoptees have voice at un meeting