Newsletters

Each month a new and fresh newsletter will be sent to you!  

October 2024

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Hello dear friends,


It was wonderful to see so many of you at the September coffee morning. I'm just sorry that the weather was so bad because the location by the sea was lovely.


I especially want to thank all of our IWOG members who made wonderful sweets for our table at the Food for Good Festival. It was a huge success and a wonderful feeling of community.


Several of you asked me at the September meeting why we aren't going back to Anatolia College for our monthly meetings. After meeting with the president of Anatolia, Mr. Panos Vlachos, he made it quite clear that it is impossible for outsiders to come onto campus while School is in session. I have experienced this first-hand when I tried to visit Pinewood and I was not allowed to enter the gate.


So IWOG will continue to hold monthly meetings in different parts of the city to try to keep most of our members happy.

I look forward to seeing you on October 9, where we will have the pleasure of participating in Laughter Yoga with our very talented member Vittoria Tosoni.


We are looking for members who want to volunteer to help with our Christmas bazaar, which will be held December 1 at the PANORAMA town hall. If you're interested in volunteering, please let Sandra know at the October meeting when you first enter.


Wishing you all a lovely fall season.


Christine


September 2024

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Καλό Μήνα dear friends,


I hope you all had a very nourishing and sun filled summer, even though the heat was so excruciating.


This was my summer for travel and lots of educational experiences, which I hope to share with you.


September as always is a very busy month and we have lots of IWOG events scheduled so please take note that our very first coffee morning will be on Wednesday, September 18 from 10-12 AM, at Ciel Bar Restaurant.


On Saturday September 21 IWOG will be present at the Connected We Stand Festival. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet many local NGO's.


On Sunday September 22, we will be present at the FOOD FOR GOOD Festival and I would be delighted if each, and every IWOG member would bring a sweet and or dessert.


There will be a signup sheet for volunteers for both of these events at our September meeting.


Please mark your calendars that our Christmas Bazaar will once again be held in the Panorama Town Hall on Sunday December 1 and we need all of you to help to make this year's bazaar a warm and welcoming event.


All the best to each and every one of you.


Christine


June 2024

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Dear friends,


Καλό μήνα!


We have one final get together before we break up for the summer and as always, it's our fabulous June luncheon .


This year, in addition to our fashion show, we will have live piano music by our very own Alex Zografov.


In order for our June luncheon to be a success we need each and every member to sign up and feel free to bring a significant other. The more the merrier. However we do have to tell the hotel by June 7 how many will be attending.


You can fill out the Google form which you will receive in an email or call any board member to sign up.


I look forward to seeing each and everyone of you for a very fun June Luncheon.


Diane will also have fantastic raffle prices for all you lucky winners!

See you all at the Panorama Hotel on Wednesday, June 12 at 12 noon !


All the very best,


Christine


MAY 2024

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Dear Friends,


Wishing you a very blessed month of May and a happy Easter.


I want to express my gratitude to Zarin for a wonderful presentation on all the very important work that she is doing with women's rights in the United Nations. There were some very insightful questions and discussion after the talk. I am looking for a volunteer who would like to follow up with Zarin on the issue of widows rights In Greece. Please let me know if you'd like to work with Zarin on this cause.


I also want to reach out and thank Dorothee for the wonderful collage workshop, she organized for our IWOG group. I am sure we will have a repeat meeting in the fall.


I want to thank Amalia for her fantastic lectures on medieval French art . All of us who attended are much wiser for it.


A huge thank you to Charis who with her brilliant mind and legal counsel, successfully took us through the ropes of the Periferia so that we are a legal entity.


And big thanks to Ellen for organizing our upcoming trip to see the Dali exhibit on Wednesday, May 15. Due to the late date of Easter, there will be no official meeting only this event on May 15.


I look forward to seeing all of you at the June luncheon for a wonderful fashion show and musical accompaniment by Alex Zografov.


Wishing each and everyone of you the very best.


Christine


April 2024

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Hello my dear wonderful women,


I do hope you all have been practicing the exercises we learned from Francoise's talk last month. I especially find it very helpful to remember how to breathe. It's something we do unconsciously all the time, and yet one of the most important tools for helping us to relax.


Thank you Francoise for a very stimulating and important topic.


The month of April is upon us and we have a meeting on Wednesday, April 10 again at the Panorama Hotel. Our guest speaker will be our new member Zarin Hainsworth who recently moved to Poligyros with her husband from the UK. Zarin has been actively working with the

United Nations and various women's rights.


We also will be joined by Stephanie Giantsis who will be showing her lovely summer jewelry, and Mrs. Tina Paralis with posters of her late husband's work.


We will also be hosting a special IWOG event on Wednesday, April 17, offered by our very own Dorothee Mesander who will be teaching us the art of collage. There will be a sign-up sheet available at the April meeting for anyone who is interested.


Due to the Easter holidays our May meeting will be held on the third Wednesday, so stay tuned.


Wishing you all a wonderful spring as the flowers are blooming, and the bees are buzzing!


All the very best


Christine


MARCH 2024

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Good morning dear friends,


The IWOG board has been trying to sort out some unfinished business we have with the Periferia and maintaining our legal status as an NGO. As my good friend Christa says “she doesn't know anything” which is partially true, but I do know how to surround myself with very competent and knowledgeable women. I love working with the team we have created on the IWOG board.


Each of you will be receiving an invitation to attend a general assembly of IWOG members where we will give you an update on IWOG activities, and a financial report on the year 2023. You can also find this same report in your February newsletter. This meeting will be held on March 13 at 10 AM in the Panorama Hotel. 


In addition to the general assembly reports, we will also hear our member Francoise Falise speak about her work in Sophrology.


I know many of you miss our monthly meetings at Ingle Hall and especially the free coffee, but at the moment we have no option, but to have our meetings take place in different parts of the city. There is a certain cost in using different venues like the YMCA and the PANORAMA Hotel and the IWOG Board decided to cover 50% of that cost and the other 50% would be paid by each of you, which is roughly 3 euros per meeting. Thank you for your understanding.


Please try to make an effort to attend our March 13 meeting as it's important to have a quorum.


Wishing you all a happy Women's Day on March 8.


All the very best,


Christine

FEBRUARY 2024

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Welcome to the month of Love,


It was such a joy to see you all and share together over coffee and bingo in January.


IWOG meetings are always about catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.


As our February meeting falls on Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 14, we will meet once again at the YMCA basement and each board member will share with you how she met her loved one.


And if there's anyone in the audience who would like to share her story with us, we are more than happy to hear you.


Stay warm and healthy and spread love and good cheer.


All the very best,


Christine




January 2024

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Happy New Year to all my favorite ladies!


Looking back on 2023 I feel that IWOG achieved its many goals, most importantly of bringing our members together and serving our community. The board has already chosen some charities, and has given Sklavenitis vouchers to several organizations.


I was especially privileged to be able to visit the Breath of Hope headquarters in Triadi and deliver all the many goods contributed by our members at the December meeting. I was delighted to see that with just the help of volunteers this organization feeds 100 families at Christmas time.


I look forward to seeing you all at our January meeting at the YMCA, where we will play bingo and cut the Vasilopitta.


Please note that the meeting will take place on January 17 from 10-12 am.


May 2024 bring peace and good health to all.


Christine Willis





DECEMBER 2023

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Dear Friends,


I want to reach out to each and every one of you and thank you for the hard work that made our Christmas Bazaar such a huge success. The hall was beautifully decorated and the baked goods were a special treat to all who tasted them. It was our first taste of Christmas.


Please note that our Christmas meeting will take place on December 13 at the Perrotis Dining Hall at the American Farm School from 10-12 am. We will be giving a scholarship to a young woman from the High School.


IWOG also made a contribution to the archives of the American Farm School and the School librarian, Damiana Koutsoumicha, will speak to us about how they are digitizing the archives today.


There will also be a mini Bazaar of only IWOG members selling their goods.


Wishing you all a happy and healthy Christmas season. And may the New Year bring in a much needed Peace to our troubled world.


Chronia Polla to all.


Christine Willis





November 2023

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Hello dear Friends,


It's hard to believe that November is upon us when I just went swimming yesterday.


But November is a busy month for our IWOG members !


Most importantly, we have our big fundraising event , our Christmas bazaar which will be held on Sunday, November 26 from 10:30 to 5 PM at the PANORAMA Townhall. We are kindly asking all IWOG members to please participate, and, especially by contributing a very specific food made in your country. For instance, I will be making American brownies which can be sold either by the piece or by the platter.


At our November meeting, there will be a sign-up sheet and we will be asking for volunteers to help serve coffee , mulled wine, hotdogs and help with both setting up and cleaning afterward. There is also the opportunity to volunteer for the children's corner.


We need as much help as we can get to make this event a very fun day for the whole family!


Art history classes featuring French Art, with Amalia Spiliakou will begin this Thursday, November 2 at the American Farm School Library from 11-12.


And don't forget to come to our November meeting on Wednesday, November 8 to vote for the new IWOG board .


All the very best to each and everyone of you .


Christine Willis





october 2023

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Dear Friends, Kalo Mina!


I've just returned from an extraordinary adventure in Uzbekistan, where I was invited as a ceramic artist to represent Greece in an International Pottery Forum.


It was an honor to receive an award, acknowledging my work as the "Potter, who revived ancient traditions".


My heartfelt thanks go out to all the volunteers who helped man our IWOG table at the Connected We Stand Festival.


We received a lot of recognition and interest in our work, and had the opportunity to meet other NGOs in Thessaloniki, who we may potentially support in the future.


I was delighted to see such a wonderful turnout at our coffee morning in September and I can see a need for us to socialize together more often. Perhaps an evening drink would be appropriate.


Our next meeting in October, we will have a delightful speaker, our very own Vittoria from Italy, who will be speaking about Laughter Yoga. I'm sure it will be one of our more fun events. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend as I will be in Italy on a ceramics course.


Please put on your thinking caps about what you can make for our Christmas bazaar, which will take place on November 26th at the Municipality of Panorama. Specifically, we are looking for eatable delicacies from all the different countries that IWOG represent.


All the very best,


Christine




September 2023



Hello lovely ladies,


I hope you are all safe from the fires and the excessive heat we've been experiencing throughout Greece.


I look forward to seeing you all at our first Coffee Morning on Wednesday, September 13 at 10 AM. It's always fun to get together and catch up after our long summer break. We will be meeting at a lovely spot on the water front of the Nea Paralia called Omilos


For the second time, IWOG will be participating in the Connected We Stand Festival for the many different NGOs in Thessaloniki, many of whom we support. And we are looking for volunteers to help set up the table and also man the table on  Saturday September 16, from 10.30-7pm. If you are available, please reach out to any board member and let us know.


From my experience last year, the festival was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to meet many of the various volunteers who work in different organizations.


I look forward to seeing you all in September and catching up on your news.


Christine




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June 2023

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Hello dear friends,


It's hard to believe that June is already upon us and we are thinking ahead and planning our Christmas bazaar.


I look forward to seeing many of you at our June luncheon and enjoying the fun fashion show. We will also have the great privilege to watch Terry and Sharon share their Tango dancing techniques. Also, Diane has 20 extraordinary raffle prizes so there will be a little bit of fun for everyone.


Please feel free to bring a significant other, as there will be a few men in our audience.


I am deeply grateful to Shirley for her wonderful talk at our May meeting and sharing stories from her very full life.


If we don't see you in June, have a wonderful summer and look forward to being in touch again at our coffee morning in September.


All the very best,


Christine



May 2023

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Χριστός Ανέστη dear friends,


I would like to thank you all for attending our mini Easter bazaar and especially for your generous contributions of shoes and socks, which were so deeply appreciated by the young unaccompanied refugee minors. Also, many thanks to our energetic Diane Holdsworth for a wonderful Easter raffle.


Our May meeting will be held at the Boy Scouts venue at the very end of Vasileos Georgiou just next to the Thessaloniki town hall, where there is plenty of parking in the basement.


We look forward to hearing from our very own Shirley Lightfoot Milojevic and her adventures throughout life. We will also be remembering our beloved, Vasso Chris, who passed away 10 years ago in May, and was a stalwart supporter of IWOG.


If there are any, IWOG members who would like to say a few words about Vasso please don't hesitate to share your thoughts.


Please make a note in your calendar that the June luncheon will take place on Wednesday, June 14 at the PANORAMA Hotel. Special guest stars will be Terry and Sharon Theocharides, from Santa Cruz, California, who will perform a special tango duet for us. Also, if you would like to be one of the models for the fashion show, please contact Christina Scragg.


I wish you all a very happy month of May with good health and joy in your heart.


Christine



APRIL 2023

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Dear Friends,


I would like to personally thank each, and every one of you who took the time and made the effort to attend our very successful gathering at IRIDA on Women's Day in March. It was a delightful morning in which we had an opportunity to see how this women's shelter works, and how our members can possibly volunteer there. The morning ended with lots of dancing and kefi and sharing stories.


I look forward to seeing many of you at our April 5 meeting at the American Farm School where we will also be having a mini Easter bazaar. Please note that due to the Easter break, our April meeting will be held on the first Wednesday in April.


In May we will be hearing from our very own Shirley Milosevic, an accomplished woman, who herself was President of IWOG in Paris. We will be trying a new venue for our May meeting. It is the Boy Scouts meeting hall at the very end of Vasileos Georgiou. Please join us there on Wednesday May 10 from 10 to 12.


Wishing all of you a very blessed and holy Easter celebration.


My very best wishes,

Christine


MARCH 2023

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Hello dear Friends,


One of the perks of the job as President of IWOG is the Joy of giving. This past month we met with Chloe Kousoulas, the CEO of IRIDA, and discussed various ways that IWOG members can help her organization. We will be visiting IRIDA on March 8, international women's day, so that our members will have an opportunity to see for themselves how they can volunteer.


A few days ago we visited the new purpose built home for Down Syndrome youth in Kalamaria and delivered a projector and wireless phone, which IWOG had purchased on their behalf. It was a very joy filled visit, and I was extremely impressed with the quality of their facilities and programs they provide for their students.


An old adage says you can't change the weather, just like in today's world we can't change Covid. Thank you for your understanding and patience about canceling our February sing along event however, we have rescheduled for Wednesday, March 1. I look forward to seeing many of you and singing together at the Café Bazaari.


Happy spring solstice on March 22.


Christine


February 2023

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A very Happy Valentine's Day to All.


I am deeply grateful to Fannie Samaras and Foteini Sarafianou from the Welfare Committee who joined our Board meeting in January to help us allocate our IWOG funds to various charities and NGO's in Thessaloniki.  We have roughly 6.000 Euros to give away and you will see from the many thank you letters how grateful these organisations are for our support.


Instead of a coffee morning in February we decided to have an evening of song to celebrate Valentines Day and each other on Wednesday February 15 after 8pm.   We will meet at the Idees Bar, Lordou Vironos 6, near Plateia Navarinou and accompany the beautiful voice of Anna Kalincheva with love songs from the past.  We are asking for a 5euro donation at the door to pay the musicians and support the work of En Dynami. You pay at the Bar for whatever you drink. Please join us for an evening of fun and feel free to bring your significant other.


We have been invited by IRIDA, the Women’s Community Center for Refugees, for a coffee and light lunch on Women's Day March 8 at their premises on Venizelou 59.  This will be a wonderful opportunity for our members to hear from the founder Chloe Kousoulas about the work that they do and also explore the possibilities of how IWOG members might volunteer.


For all of our IWOG members who make lovely Easter decorations we will have a mini Easter Bazaar on Wednesday April 5, at the Perrotis College Dining Hall, AFS.  Please note that the meeting will be held on the first Wednesday in April due to Greek Orthodox Holy week.


It is a great honour to share with all of you that I have been invited to have a Retrospective Exhibit of my work at the Refugee Museum in Sykies.  The exhibit will open on Friday March 3 and will be open for the whole month of March.  I will be posting a series of events and lectures that will be taking place throughout the month.


I wish you all a very joyful month of February.  Stay warm and healthy.


Christine


JANUARY 2023

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January 2023


A very happy New Year to my favorite ladies,


May this New Year of 2023 bring light and joy, a sense of compassion and serenity. These days are fraught with so much news of war, hunger, difficulties, that the only way to overcome all of this is with just one true act of kindness.


And that is what we at IWOG are known for. This year we will be helping the community center of IRIDA, the unaccompanied minors and refugees who are being housed in Ano Poli, the sisters of Charity, who run a home for battered women, the Breath Of Hope, and many others in need. I am deeply grateful to all of our members who through your contributions and generosity of spirit have made this possible.


I received a phone call from Anatolia College and unfortunately, as they are still renovating Ingle Hall we will not be allowed to use their premises for at least another two years. What that means is that we will be nomads and homeless, but through adversity we gain strength. Our first meeting will be held in the basement coffee shop of the YMCA on Wednesday, 18 of January from 10 to 12 AM. Come prepared to play BINGO, have lots of fun and share in the New Year's Vassilopitta. For those of you who cannot do stairs there is a side entrance where the YMCA kindergarten is on the ground floor.


Sending you Light and Peace from the Sunshine House in Evia where I am enjoying a two week spiritual retreat.


Happy New Year

Christine Willis



DECEMBER  2022

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KALO MINA Everyone!


May this month of December bring joy and great blessings to you and your families.


I want to thank each and every IWOG member who volunteered their precious time and energy to make our Christmas bazaar such a wonderful success. Everyone who came commented on what a warm and supportive atmosphere was created. I especially want to thank the hard-working women (and men!) who served coffee and sandwiches, who made hotdogs and mulled wine, who served at the front tables, selling entrance tickets, and raffle tickets, all the volunteers at the IWOG craft table, the bric-a-brac table, the secondhand jewelry table, the books and of course the Lottery table.


Now that the bazaar is behind us, we can begin the fun part of allocating where these funds will go. The welfare committee will be meeting with the board to discuss who we would like to support this coming year. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please contact anyone on the board with your ideas.


I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday, 14 December at our small Christmas bazaar, which will be held at the Perrotis College dining hall at the American Farm School from 10-12 am.


Wishing you a very blessed Christmas season.


Christine Willis 

President



November  2022

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KALO MINA Dear Friends

We are already in November and it is quite a busy month for us all. Please note in your calendars the following dates and times for us to share together.

• Wednesday November 2 at 10:30am: We will be meeting in Panorama at the home of Rose Chronis for the IWOG craft table. Everyone is welcome to help out and share their creative ideas. Bring materials and finished creations for all to see. Our purpose is to make things for the bazaar and enjoy each other's company.

• Tuesday November 8, 11:00-12:00pm: Art History Class with Amalia Spiliakou at the American Farm School library, Princeton Hall.

• Wednesday November 9, 10:00-12:00pm:  IWOG Monthly meeting with Guest Speaker Isabella Chavez at the Allegro Cafe, Megaro Mousikis.

• Saturday November 26, 5:00-8:00pm:  Lots of help needed to decorate and set up for our Christmas Bazaar.

• Sunday November 27, 10:30-6:00pm:  IWOG CHRISTMAS BAZAAR at the Panorama Town Hall. Our big fundraiser of the year. A time to serve, to share, to give good cheer. Lots of fun for the whole family.

We are deeply grateful to Vasiliki Gountsidou for her very insightful talk about Cyberbullying and the newly evolved Homo Sapien. We all learned a new meaning for POS. It's a Parent Over Shoulder!

I am deeply grateful to each and every one of our members for your generosity of spirit. May we truly enter into this Christmas season with joy in our hearts.

Respectfully yours,

Christine Willis 


October  2022

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Hello my lovely ladies and Kalo Mina for the month of October. 


It was so lovely to see many old faces and some new faces at our September coffee morning. It was hard for me to stop all the chatting and share some of our IWOG news the most important of which was our participation in the We Stand Together festival. 


The festival took place on Saturday, September 24 at the statue of Alexander the Great where there were roughly 40 stands of NGOs and volunteers within the larger Thessaloniki community one of which was IWOG. I am deeply grateful to the following members who volunteered to take time off on a Saturday to man our IWOG booth: Caroline Edwards, Maria Katsavounidou, Christina Scragg, Effie Poulouktsi, Gisela Chavez, Joanna Katsikopoulou, Fannie Samaras, Violeta Tournas, Dijana Malbasa and Emma Keating. It was an honor for IWOG to be included in this event and meet the many NGOs in Thessaloniki, many of whom we already support. 


I will be traveling to Armenia in October and will miss our meeting and our brilliant speaker Vasiliki Gountsidou. 


Please start thinking about how you can offer your assistance for the IWOG Christmas bazaar on Sunday November 27, at Panorama Municipality building. Our first craft meeting will take place on Thursday morning at 11:00 October 13 in the Panorama home of Rose Chronis. Please let us know if you need a lift. 


All the very best, 


Christine 


September  2022


Kalimera kai Kalo Mina to all,


I hope you all had a wonderful summer full of family, friends and quiet moments in beautiful places.


In early August, I had the great privilege to be invited to attend the Lykaion Games in the ancient stadium of Ano Karyes in Arcadia. This is an event that takes place every four years and was the precursor to the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Dr. David Romano, Professor from the University of Arizona, is the leading archaeologist and has a long term vision of creating a cultural heritage park in this area which would include mountain paths connecting the various villages and the magnificent site of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius. The whole area is worthy of a visit.


The IWOG Board is looking for volunteers to help organise the various parts of our very successful Christmas Bazaar. It’s our big fundraising event of the year so please contact us if you are interested in helping out. If you are interested in booking a table for the Christmas bazaar please contact Christa Anemoudi at +306972899400.


I know many of our members are struggling with health issues, either for themselves or their loved ones. Please don’t hesitate to contact one of us if you need any assistance whatsoever.


I look forward to seeing you all at our September coffee morning in one of my most favorite spots in Thessaloniki, the Allegro - Megaro Cafe. Great time to catch up with old friends and meet some new members.


All the very best and stay safe, 


Christine Willis

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JUNE 2022

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Hello my lovely ladies,


I feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle coming out of a long sleep called COVID and we are now slowly coming together and relearning how to give a hug and socialise. This was especially evident at our May meeting in the Panorama Hotel where so many members showed up to hear our very own Amalia Spiliakou talk about her ten favourite American artists. It was a brilliant talk and I learned how to look at famous paintings with a completely new eye. Thank you Amalia!


One week later 20 IWOG members met at the Kalochori Lagoon where we were taken on a tour of the Natura 2000 area by three biologists, Stella Vareltzidou, Eva Katrana and Dimitra Rammou who brought the whole area to life. This was followed by a visit to the Sanctuary for Wildlife where Froso Parcharidou took us on a tour and explained that this Sanctuary was created to care for and protect all the wild birds and animals that have been injured in Northern Greece. It was a great privilege to be able to set free a small bittern who had a recovered after a short stay at the Sanctuary. Many thanks to all those who attended. I am always grateful for all the beauty surrounding our beautiful city. Please feel free to recommend any other events that might be of interest to our IWOG members.


Don’t forget our JUNE LUNCHEON scheduled for June 8 from 12-2, at the PANORAMA HOTEL.


It will be a very fun affair with a fashion show, live dancers and raffle prizes. An opportunity to mingle with members old and new. I look forward to seeing you there.


All the very best,


Christine Willis

may 2022


Kalo Mina Dear friends.


Isn't it wonderful to feel spring in the air, to hear the nightingales and smell the lovely lilac flowers?


I want to thank all of you who attended our meeting in April at the American Farm School. It was truly a wonderful event and many thanks are due to our selfless Diana who organized the raffle and the board members who created the Easter table.


It was a special privilege to have so many members of my family present especially my dear mother Elizabeth Lansdale,who came, all the way from Ecuador.


We were all inspired by the extraordinary piano playing of Alex Zografov and his deeply spiritual words connecting the power of music to each of our lives. As a member of the American Farm School community choir, I would like to invite you to join us in song every Wednesday evening from 20:00 till 21:30. Alex is our Maestro and gets those endorphins going.


I look forward to seeing all of you at our May meeting. It will take place at the PANORAMA hotel with Amalia Spiliakou, one of my favorite speakers, who will share her insights on 10 American painters. Come for a coffee and social morning and an inspirational lecture.


We invite you all to join us on our May event where we will visit the wetlands of Kalochori with the renowned biologist Mrs. Stella Vareltsidou. The center will provide us with binoculars to better observe the resident birds.


Finally I want to thank each of you for the wonderful contributions you made to the Breath of Hope Easter Drive. Let us each continue to search for ways to contribute our time and energy to help those in need. 


I look forward to seeing you all in May both at our meeting May 11 and our event on the 18th.


All the very best,


Christine Willis

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April 2022

Dearest Friends


I am so very proud of the wonderful work that IWOG has already accomplished in the first three months of 2022. We donated a fridge to the Psychiatric Clinic, gathered goods for the Sisters of Mercy and Ukrainian relief fund and helped a cancer patient in need. That’s our motto “Help Others in Need”.


A big thank you to Persa Augoustides for her talk on Inherited metabolic diseases and her work with KROIKOS ZOIS. It was such a wonderful opportunity to finally be all together and meet some of our new members in person.


Please note that our April meeting will be held on Wednesday April 13, 10-12 am at the Perrotis College Residence Hall. That is the first building on the right as you enter the American Farm School. If anyone has a transportation problem getting to AFS please let me know so we can make arrangements accordingly.


Our speaker in April will be Alex Zografov, a brilliant pianist and musician who will play for us and share some highlights from his fascinating life. Alex has also started a Community Choir at the Farm School which meets every Wednesday evening from 7.30-9pm, in the same Perrotis Residence Hall. Everyone is invited to participate and experience the joy of singing together.


We had a super walk around the city of Thessaloniki exploring the Roman and Byzantine monuments with the brilliant Art Historian Phil Simmonds as our guide. He really brought the city alive and helped us become more aware of our cultural heritage.


I will leave you with a very inspiring talk given by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly called FLOW, the secret to happiness. (watch it here).


I wish all of you a very blessed Easter. It’s one of my favourite times of year.


All the very best,


Christine Willis

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mARCH 2022

Dear Friends,


How lovely to see so many of you in our February zoom call. It was great fun for each of the Board members to introduce themselves and we all learned so much about each other. We are planning in the future to invite our own members to speak at our meetings and share their personal stories so please don’t hesitate to volunteer.


Our first volunteer for our LIVE meeting in March will be Persa Augoustides, former Vice President of our Board, who will share with us WHY RARE DISEASE DAY?


Also at the March meeting we will cut our Vassilopita and there will be a prize for the lucky winner.


We have organized an Event for Wednesday March 23, so please save the date. We will be meeting at 10 am at the Rotonda for a Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman walk around Thessaloniki with art Historian Phil Simmonds as our guide.


I look forward to seeing many of you in person on Wednesday March 9 at 10 am at the Panorama Hotel, to enjoy a cup of coffee together, a stimulating talk, meet with old friends, and welcome new members.


Let us remember our purpose as IWOG members is to help those in need. So reach out to a friend or neighbor or even a stranger and share your smile.


All the very best,


Christine Willis


january 2022

February 2022