Since their younger years, teenaged friends Adam Hadjipateras and Liliana Papachristos have contributed to philanthropic causes with their Cathedral of St. Paul’s GOYA group.
The two have fed the homeless in New York City, visited hospitals, sorted through donations and volunteered at their church’s annual Greek festival.
Now, such acts of service have motivated them to give back even more to the community — while paying tribute to their Greek heritage.
Inspired by philanthropy and their ancestry, the two Long Island high school students created The Midas T — a company which supports charitable causes through Greek-inspired apparel.
Adam and Liliana have begun designing and selling their blue-and-white apparel at local festivals — as well as online.
The company bears the logo of a donkey — a stylistic choice Adam and Liliana made to reflect their Greek heritage — while the name “Midas” comes from the founders’ childhood, when they learned about the myth of King Midas growing donkey ears.
To fulfill its philanthropic commitment, Midas T donates 100% percent of its profits to reputable charities — and particularly charities with which Adam and Liliana have volunteered.
In June, the two friends visited St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital and supplied the hospital with equipment for its feeding program.
This summer, Adam went to Greece and volunteered at The HOME Project, an Athens-based organization providing housing and support for unaccompanied refugee minors. Profits from Midas sales funded the installation of conditioning units in The HOME Project’s shelter in Kallithea — which before did not have such units.
“It was an incredible experience to see how our contribution helped the day-to-day lives of these kids who have inspired me so much,” Adam said.
Midas has sold hundreds of clothing items and contributed thousands of dollars to the aforementioned charities.
Liliana said she and Adam hope to create a network of like-minded teens to sell Midas merchandise in the United States to raise money for worthwhile causes.
“We would love it if other teens would join us and become Midas ambassadors in their communities,” she said.
Teens who have interest can contact Adam and Liliana via email. For more information about Midas, visit the website and follow them on Instagram.
