Stavros Niarchos Foundation Donates $15 Million to St. Michael’s Retirement Home

St. Michael’s Home

Andreas Dracopoulos, the Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) announced on April 13, 2022, a major donation of $15 million by SNF to St. Michael’s Retirement Home, one of the preeminent facilities which cares for the Greek Orthodox elderly in America.

The funds are intended for the completion of a new building complex for St. Michael’s in Uniondale, New York.

Dracopoulos stated that “in a world we live in where the essence of our own humanity is being tested every day, we are honored to be able to offer our support to projects like this one where as we grow older those who have nowhere else to go will be able to find a home of compassion, dignity, quality…humanity!”

“Our love for Hellenism and the Greek community in all parts of the world is great,” Dracopoulos continued. “Therefore, the opportunity arose for the Retirement Home of St. Michael, which we knew about because it was among our first donations more than 20 years ago. I have to praise the work of Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, because it is due to his own passion and effort, and we have to acknowledge him that thanks to him St. Michael is always doing very well. We will all grow old, so those who have nowhere else to go will be able to go to a home of quality, dignity, and humanity.”

“It’s a very important donation of $15 million,” observed Stelios Vassilakis, Director of Programs and Strategy Initiative at SNF. “This nursing home has a long and very important presence in the Greek-American community, plays a very serious role, and offers very important services and, the time had come after an exemplary operation of many years to upgrade.”

St. Michael’s Home is an institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is the only elder care facility in the United States directly under the aegis of the Church of America, with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The Executive Committee of Leadership 100, at its meeting on February 9, 2022, approved a $2 million grant for the expansion of St. Michael’s Home.