“Thank you, brother,” Kon Karapanagiotidis texted back after being congratulated by Neos Kosmos for raising $5.1 million to save the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, (ASRC), a charity he founded 22 years ago.
Karapanagiotidis the CEO of the ASRC told Neos Kosmos that over “22,500 people gave an incredible $5.1 million in 19 days to save us from closing our doors.”
“People have saved not just a charity, but an independent voice, a movement and second home to more than 7,000 people seeking asylum.”
In a video Tweet yesterday Karapanagiotidis broke the good news
“I have amazing breaking news. You saved the ASC from closing its doors. Thanks to you. Thank you. I’ll be half of everyone today to see. From the staff to volunteer to the refugee community. We have the honour of standing with and serving. Thank you for saving us.”
The emergency appeal was launched three weeks ago, only “seven weeks before we were facing the reality of closing our doors.”
“I honestly thought it wasn’t going to be long enough and that we weren’t going to make it, if I’m honest with you. And it wasn’t because I thought you’d stop caring or that you thought the work was done is just as such tough economic times,” Karapanagiotidis said in his Tweeter announcement.
He called it a “precious gift” that the ASRC are “not going to squander”.
“We’ve grown twice the size or what we were before the pandemic to meet this need, but we can’t stay that size in such tough economic environment,” he said.
Karapanagiotidis will look to more efficiencies and “resize and reset the ASRC “with a focus on being sustainable while maintaining its “incredible fearless voice still this amazing frontline servers.”
The ASRC has assisted more than 30,000 people and during the pandemic it doubled in size to meet he needs of asylum seekers.
“We pay for 80,000 nights of accommodation, our health service provides 6000 medical appointments, and we pay for medicines,” he told Neos Kosmos.
Over 1600 people use the ASRC’s food bank, and the centre and provides legal representation to more than 400 families currently.
Hellenism, and his family’s values drive Karapanagiotidis.
“I am proud of being the child of Greek migrants, and those values handed down by my mother and father, and shared with my sister, Hellenic and universals values of compassion, agape, philoxenia and philotimo drive me,” he told Neos Kosmos.
Philoxenia (φιλοξενία) is the concept of hospitality and kindness to strangers and in ancient times, hospitality was seen as a sacred duty. Philotimo (φιλότιμο) encompasses virtues, of honour, respect, selflessness, and integrity. Literally means “a friend of virtue.”
Kon Karapanagitis will soon publish ‘Philoxenia, A seat at my table’ a Greek vegetarian and vegan cookbook, full of traditional Greek recipes passed on by his mum Sia. and all the proceeds of the book go to the ASRC.
“So far I have donated $82,000 personally, $52,000 from presales and $30,000 from the fee I got from writing book,” said the refugee advocate to Neos Kosmos.
Philoxenia: A seat at the table can be reordered here.