Dimitris Damianos is not your average real estate agent. He never wanted to be a realtor, his desire was, and still is, to make a difference.
When he’s not closing property deals at the agency he works for in Oakleigh, he volunteers at our community’s Orthodox churches, offering a warm meal to those in need, or he strives to find a way to assist his fellow citizens who have, for one reason or another, found themselves in unfavorable circumstances.
AN OLD SOUL
His friends describe him as “an old soul floating in a tough world.” He doesn’t know how to be anyone else.
“It’s almost comical, but every time something happens around us, big or small, involving a person, a town, or even another country, I feel compelled to do something in one way or another,” Dimitris Damianos tells Neos Kosmos.
From the major wildfires in Australia in 2019-2020 to the Royal Children’s Hospital, the philanthropic initiative “Five Loaves” by the Archbishopric of Melbourne, to the GoFundMe page he recently opened for the flood victims in Almyropotamos, Evia – his special hometown – the young philanthropist from East Bentleigh lends a helping hand and takes a step forward towards those in need.
His podcast titled “The Humble Climb,” along the same wavelength, extends Dimitris’s intention to support “those who have faced difficulties” with inspirational stories and mobilisation from “others who managed to overcome significant obstacles in their lives, whether it’s a health issue, a psychological problem, drug addiction, or even conversations with entrepreneurs who explain where they started and how far they’ve come. I also speak with football players about what they’ve overcome, trying to convey messages of optimism, strength, and courage to the podcast’s listeners.”
OFFERING HELP THROUGH DIFFICULTIES
Dimitris Damianos’s willingness to contribute have their roots in his childhood and the hardships his family faced back then.
“From my early years, I experienced hardships. My family was struggling financially, and at some point, we lost our home to the bank. We even relied on getting food from the church. I remember a day when Father Charalambos came with three boxes full of food. I’ll never forget it. Since then, I’ve said that there won’t be a time when someone asks for my help, and I won’t offer it.”
For Dimitris Damianos, “it’s important to believe in the goal for which you initiate a philanthropic action and not do it just to show off.”
PHILOTIMO
His maternal grandfather, from whom he also got his name, was the one who taught him the concept of “philotimo” through his example. A philanthropist himself, “he gave everything he had,” teaching his grandson to give.
“‘Always help others and believe,’ were the two things my grandfather constantly told me,” Dimitris says.
As he himself says, he found the combination of both in the initiative ‘Five Loaves’ by the Archbishopric, guided by Bishop Sotirios.
“You’ll often find me making sandwiches or distributing food to those in need on many Sundays. That’s where I feel at home because I offer through the church.”
“DIM IS DOING SOMETHING AGAIN”
Dimitris Damianos’s circle embraces his philanthropic nature, and as he shares with Neos Kosmos when they hear that something is happening anywhere in the world, they are sure that “Dim is doing something again.”
So, opening the GoFundMe page for the flood victims in Almyropotamos was no surprise to anyone.
“Almyropotamos may not have suffered the worst damage compared to other areas in Greece, but it’s my homeland. It’s my family, my friends there. I am emotionally connected to this place, and I have been deeply moved by the destruction of their properties,” Dimitris says.
