Βοηθήσαμε μια ευάλωτη ομάδα με το να δωρίσουμε υποδήματα.

Βοηθήσαμε is the 1st person plural aorist active indicative of βοηθάω / βοηθώ.

So it means we helped.

A quick breakdown:

• βοηθ- = the verb stem
• -ήσ- = a common aorist marker
• -αμε = we

The aorist here presents the helping as a single completed action, not as something ongoing.

Because ομάδα is a feminine noun in Greek.

In Greek, adjectives and articles must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

So:

• μια = feminine singular a/an
• ευάλωτη = feminine singular form of ευάλωτος (vulnerable)
• ομάδα = feminine singular noun (group)

This is about grammatical gender, not natural gender. Even though a group is not biologically female, the noun ομάδα is grammatically feminine, so the words around it must be feminine too.

There are two main clues.

1. The verb already shows the subject

• Βοηθήσαμε means we helped
• So the subject is already built into the verb ending -αμε

2. The verb is transitive

• βοηθάω normally takes a direct object: help someone

So after βοηθήσαμε, the phrase μια ευάλωτη ομάδα is understood as the thing/person helped.

Also, in Greek, many feminine singular nouns and adjectives have the same form in nominative and accusative, so the object does not always look different on the surface:

• nominative: μια ευάλωτη ομάδα
• accusative: μια ευάλωτη ομάδα

Same form, different function.

Here it means the indefinite article: a.

Greek μια / μία can mean either:

• a/an
• one

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

In this sentence, μια ευάλωτη ομάδα means a vulnerable group, not one vulnerable group in a contrastive or counting sense.

You may also see μία spelled with a stronger written accent, especially when the meaning one is emphasized. In everyday writing, μια is extremely common.

Με το να is a common structure meaning something like:

• by doing...
• through doing...
• by means of doing...

So:

• με το να δωρίσουμε υποδήματα = by donating footwear

Literally, it is built from:

• με = with/by
• το = the
• να = introduces a subjunctive clause

The το helps turn the whole action into something more noun-like, so the phrase works as a way of expressing method or means.

It is perfectly grammatical, and it often sounds a bit more explicit or formal than some other alternatives.

Because να is followed by the subjunctive, not the past indicative.

Compare:

• δωρίσαμε = we donated
  
  • this is a past, indicative form
• να δωρίσουμε = that we donate / for us to donate / to donate depending on context
  
  • this is the subjunctive form used after να

So in με το να δωρίσουμε, Greek needs the να-form, not the plain past form.

A useful pattern to remember:

• after να, you do not use the simple past form
• you use the subjunctive form

This is a question of aspect.

• να δωρίσουμε = aorist subjunctive
  • focuses on the action as a whole, as a completed event
• να δωρίζουμε = present subjunctive
  • suggests an ongoing, repeated, or habitual action

In this sentence, the idea is that the group was helped through the act of donating footwear as a complete action. That is why δωρίσουμε is the natural choice.

If you said να δωρίζουμε, it would sound more like:

• by regularly donating
• by being in the process of donating

Because Greek often leaves plural indefinite nouns without an article.

So:

• δωρίσουμε υποδήματα = donate footwear / donate shoes
• not necessarily the footwear

This is similar to English, where we can say:

• We donated shoes
• We donated some shoes

If Greek used the article:

• τα υποδήματα

that would usually point to specific footwear already known from the context.

Yes, but it is a bit formal.

Υποδήματα means:

• footwear
• sometimes more specifically shoes

It sounds more formal, official, or written than the everyday word:

• παπούτσια = shoes

So the sentence has a slightly formal or institutional tone, like something you might see in:

• a report
• a charity announcement
• a news item
• an official summary

In casual conversation, many speakers would more naturally say παπούτσια.

The sentence is correct, but many speakers might choose a slightly more compact version, such as:

• Βοηθήσαμε μια ευάλωτη ομάδα δωρίζοντας υποδήματα.

Here δωρίζοντας means by donating.

This version is often more natural in flowing Greek because it avoids the heavier με το να structure.

You could also hear something less formal, such as:

• Βοηθήσαμε μια ευάλωτη ομάδα προσφέροντας παπούτσια.

So the original sentence is good Greek, but it sounds a bit more formal and explanatory than some everyday alternatives.