Stamatakis Family Earthquake Recovery Help!

Support for the Stamataki Family : Maria, Yannis, Anna, Agape, Stephania due to severe Earthquake Crete, Greece

For over a decade there has been a women’s retreat led by Catherine Ridder and Ruth Barrett to the Island of Crete. On one lucky day we happened upon Oi Agapes taverna in Choudetsi outside of Heraklion. Our group was welcomed with open arms and we feasted like Queens. The Stamataki family has become our Cretan family and our visit to their taverna is a highlight of our trip.

The taverna, Oi Agapes in Choudetsi Heraklion, has been family owned and run since since 2004.

The Stamataki family have run this Taverna for 17 years and it’s been a lively gathering place for the community, musicians and lucky travelers.

On Tuesday, September 28, Crete had a large earthquake, 1 life was lost and many many structures were damaged. Our friends were at the taverna when it struck and escaped out the back door. Sadly the taverna sustained severe damage. This taverna is the only livelihood for the family and we are hoping to raise money for them to live on and to repair the taverna so that they can continue to serve their community and thrive. This is especially crucial after this last year as the taverna was only able to re-open in February of 2021, due to Pandemic closures and restaurant restrictions.

Please Note: GoFundMe does not directly support Greece yet so I am committing to collecting the funds on the family’s behalf and will do a bank transfer directly to the family.

From GoFundMe

“You are welcome to raise funds for almost anyone; however, if that person is in a country where we don’t operate yet, you will be personally responsible for withdrawing the funds yourself, then delivering the funds outside of GoFundMe. You will also need to outline a transparent withdrawal plan on your fundraiser story so that supporters understand how the funds are being handled.”