Vision

The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation envisions a future in which all children have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. We encourage children and young adults to make a difference in their own lives by following their career dreams and to make a difference in the lives of others by paying forward their talents through community service projects that mean something to them – all while having fun in the process.

“Both Loukoumi and Come From Away inspire us to do good, to be better. Together they can change the world and I am honored to advocate for this wonderful project.”

— Nia Vardalos

Mission

Recognizing the vital importance of youth participation in community building and inspired by the acclaimed Loukoumi children’s book series, The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation is a community service, literacy and career guidance initiative working to inspire a new generation of service leaders. The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation encourages more than 150,000 children and young adults in 30 countries each year to undertake good deeds founded upon the principles of — pride in self, pride in community and doing the right thing. The children engage in good deed projects for causes they are passionate about. They learned that philanthropy can be fun and it significantly improves their self-esteem, mental health and overall happiness.

“For me the most wonderful thing is to make someone smile and these Inspiring Stories are guaranteed to make children smile all over the world.”

— Gloria Gaynor

Timeline

2005

Publication of Loukoumi

2007

Publication of Growing Up With Loukoumi

2009

Publication of Loukoumi’s Good Deeds
Publication of Loukoumi’s Gift
Loukoumi launches annual Dream Day Contest

2011

Publication of Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook

2012

Launch of Literacy Awareness program with National Ladies Philoptochos Society

2013

Publication of Loukoumi And the Schoolyard Bully
Founder Nick Katsoris delivers keynote at the Kiwanis International Conference in Vancouver, Canada

2014

Loukoumi Author Nick Katsoris forms The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization
Loukoumi and Nick Katsoris Receive a National Make A Difference Day Award
Loukoumi Foundation airs its national TV Special, Make A Difference With Loukoumi

2015

Loukoumi Foundation opens its Make A Difference Exhibit at the Westchester Children’s Museum
Loukoumi Foundation sponsors its first Loukoumi Good Deed Bus in New York for Make a Difference Day

2016

Publication of Loukoumi in the Basket

2017

Loukoumi Foundation starts its curriculum in over 300 schools including schools in the NY Archdiocese and The Diocese of Brooklyn
Loukoumi Foundatiuon Received the Points of Light Award Read More
The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation is presented a $10,000 award by TENGA as their 2016 All-Star Winner!

2018

The Loukoumi Foundation celebrates the 10 year anniversary of its Dream Day contest

The Loukoumi Good Deed Bus continues in New York City and also heads to Chicago for Make a Difference Day!

2019

Publication of Loukoumi Saves a Park
Publication of Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference
The Loukoumi Good Deed Bus visits New York Chicago, Boston and Gander Newfoundland for Make a Difference Day.
Opening of Loukoumi Foundation Room at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
First Annual Mediterranean Tasting Event to Benefit Loukoumi Feeds the Hungry

2020

The Loukoumi Foundation hosted its 6th Annual Make A Difference Awards virtually by honoring children and schools around the world. The Foundation will present His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan with its Inspiration Award in June 2021
Loukoumi Foundation is planning to launch a new Exhibit at the 9-11 Tribute Museum
The Loukoumi Foundation celebrated Make A Difference With Loukoumi Day with a Virtual Event uniting children around the world. The event featured a reading of our newly published Loukoumi’s Good Deeds in Spanish narrated by Come From Away star Caesar Samayoa and good deeds including making cards for patients at St. Jude, letters for families who lost loved ones on 9-11, a cooking segment with Celebrity Chef Maria Loi where children cooked food for homeless shelters and a new partnership with the organization 3 Wishes For Ruby’s Residents where wish lists were created for nursing home residents. Following the virtual event Loukoumi teams in 10 cities did additional socially distanced good deeds including: Ann Arbor MI, Boston MA, Chicago/Deerfield IL, Dallas TX, Gander Canada, Los Angeles CA, New York, Pompano Beach FL, Puerto Rico and Virginia/Washington DC.
Launch of the Loukoumi Kids Club
The Loukoumi Foundation released a video titled “Make Someone Smile” to the song written by Grammy Award winner Gloria Gaynor especially for Loukoumi. The video featured handmade cards from children in 15 countries around the world all sharing positive thoughts during the pandemic

2021

Virtual Mediterranean Tasting event with Chef Maria Loi and friends to benefit the Loukoumi Feeds The Hungry Initiative

Loukoumi Foundation launches new projects with Pitch In For Baseball & Softball and Club For The Future

The Loukoumi Foundation presented His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan with its Inspiration Award in June

Nick Katsoris launched a monthly Good Deed of the Month Zoom with 20 schools.

2022

8th Annual Loukoumi Make A Difference Awards presenting Dean Spanos, Chairman/Owner of the LA Chargers with our Inspiration Award

July 2022 – Teamed with the NY Mets for their Summer Food Drive donating over 1,000 items

Teamed with the Reserva Land Trust saving acres of rain forest land in Ecuador

Sent postcards to space with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future

Make A Difference Day in October 2022 inspired events with teams of children in 22 countries around the world

Summer 2022 – Launching our Good Deed Curriculum in schools around the world including The Anne Hutchinson School, The Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, Gander Elementary School and at the Costeas Geitonas School in Athens Greece (Pallini)

December 2022: Held our inaugural Loukoumi Good Deed Bus in Los Angeles with ECOS and the Los Angeles Chargers

2023

March - Chef Maria Loi and Loukoumi Foundation President and Founder Nick Katsoris speak at the World Happiness Summit in Lake Como, Italy; Loukoumi Good Deed of the Month Zoom held at the San Carpoforo School in Lake Como Italy.

April - Loukoumi Foundation visits Schools in Greece

June - 9th annual Loukoumi Foundation Make A Difference Awards

“Loukoumi the lamb inspires a Good Deeds Movement, encouraging children to make a difference.”

— Points of Light

Our Awards

• iParenting Media Award

• Family Choice Award

• USA Weekend National Make a Difference Day Award

• Best in the World Gourmand World Cookbook Award

• Mom’s Choice Awards Honoring Excellence

• Points of Light Award

• Tegna National Make A Difference All-Star Award

• Mets Charity of the Game

• The Chapel School Community Champion Award