On Sunday, December 11, Food for Thought Network (FFTN), an inclusive Greek Australian Women’s Network, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) online with a global audience.
Patron of the FFTN, Vasso Apostolopoulos, said she has been impressed by the quality of work that Food For Thought Network has been doing for the last 21 years.
“I met the founder Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou when she was starting this not-for-profit network and back then, when she told me about the network, I thought… what is she on about?” Apostolopoulos said in a press release.
“21 years later I now know that Varvara knew better than all of us and had the foresight and resilience to grow this Network for the benefit of all of us women.”
The mission of FFTN is to promote awareness about barriers and enablers to women’s development inspiring positive change in individuals and the community in general, providing opportunities for connecting, different generations, professions and cultures.
During COVID-19, The Network was elevated to new heights with Varvara’s creation of the learning platform ‘Greek Australian Women and Friends Around the World Forum,’ which acted as a platform for connection, information and empowerment and drew a global audience.
Most of the current committee of volunteers, Maria Makris, Dr Maria Karidakis, Maria Maikousis, Georgia Pernitzis, Irena Lelou and Helena Kidd, connected deeply during this time participating in the 42 zoom sessions.
The team has been working well together for the last two years, organising events and working on a long-term project of collecting the stories of our older women our unsung heroines age 80+.
Six events were organised during 2022 taking into consideration the centenary anniversary of the 2022 Asia Minor Disaster, the pandemic and climate change. These are three very important issues that have affected and continue to affect women more and are in line with the Network’s mission.
Furthermore, the publication of Varvara’s book ‘Her Voice: Greek Women and Their Friends’ profiles 30 professional Greek women and 12 of their non-Greek friends living and working in Australia, sharing their inspirational personal and professional stories through their own words.
42 role models overcoming everything from racism, sexism, ageism, bullying, harassment and excelling in all aspects of life has elevated the status of this Network globally.
On Sunday at the AGM, the Network was delighted to see the way the team works together, demonstrating exemplary leadership. The Network welcomed two new members, Kelly Tsagournos and Dr Tina Kamma-Loger.
The highlight of the night was the amazing presentation of guest speaker, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, to discuss the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. While Dr Itsiopoulos’ work is on the healthy eating pillar, she also noted that there are another five pillars to good health, and they should be looked at as well.
To find more about Food For Thought Network and become a member please check the website and follow us on social media.
