Ελληνικά 
Acquaintance with a special
Presence
Lisa Pentheroudaki studied interior design at Wigmore Fine Arts in London. She worked for many years as a decorator and and at the same time she attended art classes in Visual Arts Workshops.
Her love for children made her combine art with her social work that counts 35 years. She spent countless hours with abandoned children at the Children’s Hospital Aglaia Kyriakou as well as at Elpida Hospital telling stories and painting. Her book “Caramel candy balls and green peas” was illustrated by the children from the Third Tositseion Arsakeion Elementary School in Ekali, while the proceeds from the sales were donated to support the Elpida Association.
In the summer of 2016 she takes part to the exhibition “Travel Companions to Ithaca” with her fairytale “A star tells”, inspired by the poem by K. Kavafis “Ithaca”. The students of all the Elementary Schools of Tinos wrote an essay on “The Road to my Ithaca “ and on the day of the opening of the exhibition, the best essay of every Elementary School received an award.
In the summer of 2015 Tinos Nursery dedicated a feast for her fairytale “On a broom to the stars”. It was illustrated by Elementary and High school students and the money from the sales went directly to the Municipal Nursery school for the purchase of educational material.
In 2017 she wrote another fairytale on the occasion of the Wine Festival in Tripotamos. The 1st Elementary School participated in the illustration of the fairytale and the money was given, once more, to the Association of Tripotamos.
In September of 2018 she had undertaken the organization of the 30th Conference of Preventive Pediatrics in Tinos, where with the help of Mrs Gavrielatou over 400 children were examined by doctors of all specialities.
She was involved in painting and construction with the Evzones. After her collaboration with the Presidential Guard, she presented her work at King George with curator of the exhibition the art historian Manos Stefanides. The continuation of this work was the establishment of a cultural company aiming at the dissemination of the Evzona around the world and the emergence of our cultural/artistic and National heritage.
-What was the occasion to get involved in social work?
I’ve loved kids since a very young age. When I turned 18, I joined the “Volunteers Association “ and since then I began to offer social work. As the years went by, I was more and more engaged in volunteering. Soon I was a member of the Board of the “Friends of the Child” and I went to the Hatzikyriakion Foundation and occupied the children.
-Is it hard for a man to combine his work with volunteering?
No not at all. When you feel like volunteering you always find time.
-Has there been any time in all those years of offering that you thought of stopping your social work?
Of developing it, yes, but I’ve never thought of stopping it.
-You have offered a lot to the island of Tinos. How do the inhabitants of the island treat you?
For me, Tinos is my love. There I find peace, inspiration and I create. So the inhabitants of the island fill me with smiles.
-What are your future plans?
The development of the Cultural Company that I founded, the “Greek Traditional Panorama “. And of course the development of my work without ever forgetting my preoccupation with children.
She thinks that imagination and game are necessary for the development of the children so she emphasizes to them.
She continues tirelessly her work and we wish her to always have power, inspiration and courage for what she does.
