Description
The Heart of Giving
This photographic book on Father Nektarios’ lifelong work is a personal insight by documentary photographer Effy Alexakis – a homage in photographs and words to the unselfish kindness expressed by a Greek Orthodox priest and his volunteers in Sydney’s inner-western suburb of Newtown. All those in need of care and a meal are looked after, day after day, with dignity and sensitivity.
Alexakis formally met Father Nektarios at his Soup Kitchen in the community hall next to the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, Newtown, in February 2021. She had known of his philanthropic work for many years, but now began to regularly visit the Soup Kitchen with her camera and recorder over the following two years; sometimes more than once a week. Her documentary eye and inquisitive interviews reveal a busy and welcoming space, at times stressful and uncomfortable: a reality check in understanding people who are less fortunate, and the fundamental altruism at the heart of what it is to be human.
