The Relief Society of Pontian Ladies of Thessaloniki

The Relief Society of Pontian Ladies has a long and remarkable history of philanthropic and social contribution. It was founded in 1904 in Trabzon, Pontus, offering invaluable services to the Church and the local community until the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922. The Society managed the Trabzon Orphanage, cared for refugees expelled by the Turks, and delivered American aid to the forbidden Armenian community. In collaboration with the Red Cross, it also donated 200 pounds for the surgery department of the Trabzon Hospital. After the Catastrophe, in 1923, Thaleia Saoulidou and the Theofylaktos couple spearheaded the re-establishment of the organization in Thessaloniki. A Sewing Workshop was created, providing refugee women with employment opportunities. In 1934, the Society acquired its own premises, which were seized by the Germans in 1941, destroying its property and archives. In the postwar period, the Society continued its mission. In 1948, it founded the children's village "Saint Eugenios" and from 1950 to 1972 operated a “Girls' Home” for university students. In 1976, the “ARGO” daycare center was established. In 1990, construction began on the “Diamantideios Home for the Elderly,” which opened in 1993. Finally, in 2005, the museum “Embroidering Memory” was inaugurated, showcasing traditional Pontian embroidery and needlework. Pictured: The workshop of the Relief Society of Pontian Ladies of Thessaloniki, commemorative photograph from the 1960s. ©Relief Society of Pontian Ladies of Thessaloniki.