Paros & Santorini Elderly Houses Action
“From caring comes courage“,
Laozi
Social Responsibility is one of our core pillars in Kanava Hotels & Resorts, as since the foundation of our company and the inauguration of the first property in Santorini in 1993, Vedema Resort, we have been firmly attached to the local community and have learnt to grow side by side. We believe that no organization can be sustainable and grow without taking care of the local environment and the community it is being surrounded by. Santorini and Paros, where our properties are located, are two small islands of the Cyclades, with approximately 15.000 permanent residents each, that during winter time might further decrease, as several islanders move to bigger cities.
A myriad companies both in national and international level, were mobilized during this unprecedented crisis and graciously supported hospitals, doctors and nurses, and these actions showed society’s humanism and unity during difficult moments. Our wish at Kanava Hotels & Resorts, was to locate and assist in any possible way, any social groups that were being affected by the pandemic crisis. Immediately in our minds came our beloved ones that are more in danger during this period and realized, thus, the vitality of helping the local nursing homes.
Santorini has one nursing home and Paros has another one as well one day care center for elderly people. Willing to support both the elderly but also their caretakers, we turned to them to identify their needs. As the institutions were in shortage of basic necessities, we have provided them with the consumables for sanitation, personal protective equipment and daily care items for elderly people. However, wanting to go a step further and truly improve their daily life, especially since the lack of sufficient personnel restrains the quality time spent with the elderly nursed in these institutions, we have also decided to cover some basic entertainment needs and equip the rooms with TVs, so that they can have a sense of company throughout the day. We have also made a promise within our company that as soon as social distancing limitations are removed, we will be visiting them in person and spend some dedicated time with them weekly.
Taking everything into consideration, we really feel a sense of fullness by being able to assist those institutions on our islands. It also made us realize how much in need these people are not only during this crisis, but all year round and at what extend volunteering would improve their daily life. It is vital not to forget the elderly in our society as they are our origins; who we are, our past. And without past there cannot be any future. In the end, this reflection and re-evaluation filled us with optimism and a sense that it will lead us to a better future, as we feel strongly engaged to undertake initiatives like this in our everyday lives from now on.
