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Ζήτω η Ελλάδα! Long Live Greece Registration is now open for the FIFTH ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION October 11 - 17, 2026 Athens/Thessaloniki/Vergina/Meteora/Metsovo/Ioannina/Nafpaktos/Kalavryta Details here on the website ************* The Fourth Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion was an amazing success in Las Vegas, NV last June. Details on the Events tab

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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 3 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.

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

Οι εγγραφές για την Πέμπτη Ετήσια Επανένωση Υιοθετημένων Ελλήνων είναι πλέον ανοιχτές

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DON'T MISS THE FIFTH ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION IN OUR BELOVED HOMELAND OF GREECE! After hosting four amazing reunions in Nashville, TN, Athens, Greece, Louisville, KY, and Las Vegas, NV, we head back to the land of our birth by unanimous vote of the adoptees who attended the Reunion in Las Vegas.

Dear Fellow Adoptees:

Join us in Greece Fifth Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion 2026, October 11-17, 2026! Registration is open and we want to see YOU there! No conference or speakers, just lots of fun, fellowship and bonding with your fellow Greek adoptees as we start out from Athens and travel together in Northern Greece to breathtakingly beautiful sites and historical places. Bring your spouse/partner/children/friend/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! We want to also invite adult children of Greek adoptees and adult members of Greek biological families who want to join us as well.

***We will leave by tour bus from Athens on the morning of October 11, 2026, so please make sure you are in the Athens area by October 10, 2026 (meeting place TBA). Please note: you are repsonsible for your own airline transportation to Greece*** This trip will not include any activities in Athens, so if you want to explore Athens on your own, see more of Greece or visit biological family, we suggest you come some days before the Reunion or stay some days after. From Athens, we will visit Thessaloniki, Vergina, Kalambaka/Meteora, Metsovo, Ioannina, Nafpaktos, Kalavryta and a surprise stop in Korinthos with deep meaning for adoptees (no, not a visit to Ancient Corinth or the Corinth Canal).

WHAT'S INCLUDED:
- Roundtrip transportation by motor coach from Athens and back to Athens at conclusion of trip (You are responsible for your own airline transportation to Greece)
- 6 nights hotel accommodations (2 nights in Thessaloniki at NYX Hotel in the heart of the city, 1 night in Kalambaka at the Divani Meteora Hotel, 2 nights in Ioannina at The Lake Hotel, 1 night in Nafpaktos at Hotel Nafpaktos)
- breakfast each morning
- 2 lunches (in Metsovo and Kalavryta) and the Greek Taverna Night dinner with Greek food, music, dancing and Greek-themed door prizes
- admission to all sites: the Rotonda and the White Tower in Thessaloniki; Vergina; Great Meteoran, Verlaam and St. Stephen's monsateries in Meteora; a tour of the island and the Ali Pasha residence in Ioannina; Ioannina castle; the Wax Museum of Ethnic History outside Ioannina; the famous bridge and Byzantine church in Arta; Kalavryta Memorial; and a very special surprise in Korinthos
- trip begins and ends in Athens. Be sure to arrive in Athens by October 10, 2026 to be ready to leave on our trip on October 11, 2026. You are responsible for your own hotel accomodations in Athens before the Reunion and on the night of October 17, 2026 when we return there that evening.
- if you want to explore more of Greece or visit biological family while you are here, we encourage you to arrive in Greece some days before the Reunion or stay some days after.

FIFTH ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION
Presented by The Eftychia Project
October 11-17, 2026
Athens-Thessaloniki-Vergina-Kalambaka/Meteora- Metsovo-Ioannina-Nafpaktos-Kalavryta-Korinthos
ITINERARY & ACTIVITIES (subject to change)
Sunday, October 11, 2026 – Day 1

10:00 am – Meet bus at location TBA in Athens to load luggage and board - Reunion credentials and goody bags will be distributed on the bus
12 noon – Welcome activity TBA
2:00 pm - Leave for Thessaloniki
7:30 pm – Arrive at NYX Hotel in the center of Thessaloniki (2 short blocks from the sea) - check-in and have the evening free to eat in a local taverna and explore the city

Monday, October 12, 2026 – Day 2

Morning – 7:30 am - 9:30 am - Breakfast at hotel (included)
10:30 am – 2:00 pm – Visit Rotonda and White Tower (included)
2:00 pm – Lunch on your own
Afternoon after lunch – Explore on your own - Aristotelus Square, ancient ruins, churches, shopping, take a boat ride around the harbor, etc.)
7:00 pm - Wine and Cheese Reception in The Clash Restaurant (included) - with local Greek adoptees and biological family members - Dinner on your own after reception

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 – Day 3

Morning – 7:30 - 9:30 am – Breakfast at Hotel (Included)
10:00 am – Check out, load bus
10:30 am – Leave Thessaloniki for Vergina
12 noon - Arrive Vergina - Lunch on your own in the village of Vergina
Afternoon – 2:00 pm - Visit the archaeological site of Vergina
5:00 pm - Depart Vergina for Kalambaka/Meteora
7:30 pm – Arrive at Divani Hotel in Kalambaka - check-in and explore Kalambaka - Dinner on your own - Kalambaka is very walkable to almost everything

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 – Day 4

7:30 AM – 9:00 am - Breakfast at hotel (included)
9:30 AM – Check out, load bus
10:00 AM – Visit Great Meteoran and Verlaam monasteries, St. Stephens if time permits (included)
1:00 PM – Depart for Metsovo
2:30 pm – LUNCH at To Tzaki (included)
Shopping and explore Metsovo after lunch
5:00 PM – Depart Metsovo for Ioannina
6:30 PM – Arrive at The Lake Hotel in Ioannina - check-in
7:30 PM – Board bus to central district on lake near castle for dinner on own. Or, just stay and have a quiet dinner at the hotel, then relax and hang out with fellow adoptees in The Eftychia Project Suite
10:30 PM – Bus returns to hotel

Thursday, October 15, 2026 – Day 5

7:30 - 9:00 AM – Breakfast at hotel (included)
10:30 AM – Tour of island and Ali Pasha museum and other sites on island (included)
2:00 PM – LUNCH on your own in Castle area
AFTER LUNCH - Explore the castle (free), visit the museums in the castle (on your own, not included), shopping
5:00 PM – Return to hotel for a little R&R
7:30 pm - Bus returns to castle area for dinner - or stay at the hotel for a quiet dinner and hang out with fellow adoptees in The Eftychia Project suite
10:30 - Bus returns to Hotel

Friday, October 16, 2026 – Day 6

7:30 - 9:00 AM – Breakfast at hotel (included)
9:30 AM – Check out, load bus
10:00 AM – Depart Ioannina
11:00 AM – Visit Ethnic Wax Museum outside Ioannina (included)
12:30 PM - Depart for Arta
1:30 PM - lunch on your own in Arta
3:00 pm - Visit bridge and byzantine church (included)
4:30 - depart from Arta for Nafpaktos
6:30 pm - Arrive at Hotel Nafpaktos in Nafpaktos - check-in, explore Nafpaktos
9:00 pm - GREEK TAVERNA NIGHT at local Greek taverna “SPITIKO” (included) - Enjoy fun and fellowship with your fellow Greek adoptees with Greek food, music and dancing (with the band from the previous Reunion in Greece), fun photo booth and drawings for Greek- themed door prizes

Saturday, October 17, 2026 – Day 7

7:30 - 9:00 AM – Breakfast at hotel (included)
9:30 – Check out, load bus
10:00 AM – Depart Nafpaktos
11:30 AM – Visit Kalavryta Memorial - free
1:00 PM -Lunch at Stani Taverna (included) – feel free to browse the shops after lunch
3:00 PM - Depart Kalavryta
4:30 pm - Arrive Korinthos
5:00 - Special adoptee-related surprise activity
8:00 pm - Depart Korinthos
9:30 pm - Arrive Athens - Trip ends - Please make your hotel arrangements on your own in advance for this night. We will pick a drop off location TBA in Athens with access to transportation for your travel needs (buses, taxis, rental cars, Metro, trains, etc,).

REGISTRATION and PAYMENT LINKS:

FIRST, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO REGISTER: https://forms.gle/4HTUvWAtzBHozWRo7
THEN, FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW TO PAY FOR THE TRIP. You have the option to pay in full or to pay a deposit, followed by three installments.
Cost: $1,350 per person single occupany, $890 per person double occupancy ***If you plan to share a room with someone, please obtain your roommate BEFORE you pay per person double occupancy.*** YOU are responsible for arranging a roommate.If you would like a roommate, feel free to post that you are looking for a roommate on The Eftychia Project's private Facebook group for Greek adoptees, their immediate family members (spouses, children) and Greek biological families, Forgotten Children of Greece. If you are not a member of the private group, please ask to join and we will approve the request (please answer the membership questions when asking to join)
Payment in full of $1,350 for 1 person single occupancy: https://square.link/u/YEZvnwsm
Payment in full of $890 for 1 person double occupancy if roommates want to pay with individual credit/debit cards (must have roommate for this option - roommate includes spouse, partner, children, friend, travel buddy): https://square.link/u/mPEzrnHZ
Payment in full of $1,780 for 2 persons double occupancy - if paying for both roommates with a single credit/debit card (must have roommate for this option - roommate includes spouse, partner, children, friend, travel buddy): https://square.link/u/4ItZlwJN
Installment plan deposit: A deposit of $350 per person, regardless of type of occupancy, is due by April 30, 2026. Follow this link to pay deposit: https://square.link/u/jc8ML1cy
To pay an installment plan deposit for 2 persons: https://square.link/u/ytCWcHAw
For single occupancy, subsequent installments per person are due as follows - $333 on or before May 31, 2026; $333 on or before July 31, 2026; $334 on or before September 28, 2026. For double occupancy, subsequent installments per person are due as follows: $180 on/before May 31, 2026; $180 on/before July 31, 2026; $180 on/before September 28, 2026. If you choose the installment plan, a link to pay each installment will be sent to you via email 30 days before the installment is due.
If you prefer to pay by check or money order, please let us know and make out payments to "Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion". Mail check/money order payments to: The Eftychia Project, PO Box 682509, Franklin, TN 37068

REUNION FAQ's - Frequently asked questions
1. What does the cost include?
The cost includes: round trip transportation by tour bus; 6 nights hotel accommodations; breakfast each morning; 2 lunches in Metsovo (To Tzaki) and Kalavryta (Taverna Stani), and the Greek Taverna Night dinner in Nafpaktos at Taverna Spitiko with a fabulous dinner, dinner program, live band, and Greek-themed door prizes; special Athens welcome activity; Wine and Cheese Reception in Thessaloniki; admission to all sites, including Rotonda, White Tower, Vergina, the monasteries of Meteora, a tour of the island of Ioannina and the Ali Pasha residence and other sites, Ioannina castle, ethnic wax museum, Arta bridge and 13th century Byzantine church; Kalavryta memorial, surprise adoptee-oriented activity in Korinthos.

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. This Reunion in Greece is a bit more expensive than the previous one there in 2023. However, we are traveling to more places (since there is no conference), there are more hotel nights and many more activities and meals included. The cost of the trip in dollars is based on the current exchange rate for euros to dollars, which is 0.85, so the cost of the trip in euros was subsequently multiplied by 1.15 to arrive at the cost in dollars. With inflation and the subsequent rise in prices for everything across the board, we are unable to offer a discounts of any kind, with the exception of adoptees with financial need/difficulties. For those adoptees, we will once again try to help with partial or full funding of an airline ticket if the adoptee is able to cover the cost of the trip in Greece. If anyone has airline miles they would like to donate to an adoptee in need or if anyone would like to fund an airline ticket for an adoptee, or cover the cost of the trip in Greece for an adoptee, please contact us at theeftychiaproject@gmail.com.

3. When should I arrive in Athens?
Plan to arrive in Athens no later than sometime on Saturday, October 10, 2026. We will meet (location TBA) to load our luggage and board our tour bus promptly at 10:00 am on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Since we visited the sites in Athens at the previous Reunion in Greece in 2023, you may want to arrive some days ahead of the Reunion or stay some days after If you want to explore Athens, see more of Greece or visit biological family.

4. Are the hotels in close proximity to dining/shopping/souvenirs? Is the hotel pet-friendly?
The hotels in Thessaloniki, Kalambaka and Nafpaktos are all convenient and within walking distance to dining, shops and souvenir stores. The hotel in Ioannina is a 5-minute bus ride to the lake area, which is entirely walkable. All of the hotels are pet friendly, but so far, the only pet going along on the trip is our official Eftychia Project mascot, Koki!

5. How can I travel to Greece?
We chose Greece because the attendees at the Reunion in Las Vegas voted unanimously to return to Greece for the Fifth Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion. We probably speak for all adoptees when we say "Greece is always a good idea!". You can fly from virtually anywhere in the USA to Athens, with almost all of the major airlines having connections from your hometowns to flights that go directly to Athens from major hubs like Atlanta, Charlotte, JFK, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, etc. Generally, the sooner you buy your tickets, the better. For those of you who haven't yet traveled to Greece, you will arrive in Athens at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos. From there, you can take taxis, private cars, buses and trains to any destination around the city. If you are coming a few days early, some hotels have free shuttles.

6. What if I have special dietary 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 accommodate you.

Still have questions? Email us at greekadopteereunion@gmail.com or send a message to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheEftychiaProject or visit our website https://theeftychiaproject.org for complete details and instructions – We can’t wait to see you there!

READ THE ARTICLE BY ELENI SAKELLIS IN THE NATIONAL HERALD:
A Moving Event in Astoria Highlights the Plight of Greek Adoptees

The Greek Version of the article also appeared in the Ethnikos Kirikas, making the front page!

Queens, NY – The Greek Elder Care Network, in collaboration with the Hellenic American Project and The Eftychia Project, presented the first Hellenic-American Project Oral History Interview to be taped in front of a live audience on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The event was held at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25-02 Newtown Ave, Queens, NY 11102.

This fascinating evening was open to the public and done in a talk show-style theater setting. Dr. Nicholas Alexiou, the founder and director of the Hellenic-American Project (HAP) and a sociology professor at Queens College, CUNY, interviewed Eftychia (Linda Carol Trotter), a Greek-born adoptee and the founder/president of the nonprofit organization, The Eftychia Project. The Eftychia Project, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2024, assists and supports, free of charge, Greek adoptees searching for their roots and Greek families searching for their children lost to adoption.

This event helped to document the profound impact and historical significance of the adoptions abroad of thousands of Greek children, mainly to the USA, in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as raise awareness about this sad page of Greek history among the Greek diaspora and the general public. Dr. Alexiou led the conversation, bringing his extensive expertise and passion for preserving Hellenic-American history to the forefront. Eftychia (Linda Carol Trotter) sharedher own story, her work with The Eftychia Project, and its mission to amplify the voices of over 4,000 Greek-born adoptees, whose stories are often lost in the broader intercountry adoption narrative.

This live interview was a profoundly moving and informative experience, offering the audience a rare glimpse into personal stories of identity, heritage, and reunion. The interview will contribute to HAP’s extensive archives of the Hellenic American experience, which is recognized by the US Library of Congress. Following the interview, 12 Greek adoptees from 7 states joined Eftychia onstage to introduce themselves and share a bit about their own stories, and were able to discuss their stories with audience members in more depth at thereception that followed. While in town for the weekend for the event, adoptees gatherered together for Friday night dinner at Telly's Taverna, attended a Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle, NY and listened to music and danced at a local bouzoukia on Saturday, and visited the 9/11 Memorial and St, Nicholas National Shrine on Sunday.

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.

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***”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/

Ένα Ιστολόγιο για Έλληνες υιοθετημένους από τους Έλληνες υιοθετημένους

Το Πέρασμα του Χρόνου και το Βλέποντας το Αδύνατον να Γίνεται Πραγματικότητα - Τερέζα Σαρφ

Εξερευνήστε το εκπληκτικό ταξίδι της Ελληνίδας υιοθετημένης Teresa Scharf καθώς στοχάζεται το πέρασμα του χρόνου και βλέποντας ότι αυτό που πολλοί υιοθετημένοι πιστεύουν ότι μπορεί να είναι αδύνατο να γίνει πραγματικότητα.

Το έργο Ευτύχεια

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Register now! FIFTH ANNUAL GREEK ADOPTEE REUNION October 11-17, 2026 in our homeland of Greece

Οι εγγραφές για την Πέμπτη Ετήσια Επανένωση Υιοθετημένων Ελλήνων είναι πλέον ανοιχτές

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***New!*** Eftychia's Corner - A Blog by Greek Adoptees for Greek Adoptees

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