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Philoptochos Chapter #5060
Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church
Boca Raton, Florida
Support of Schools/Backpack Buddies:
In regards to schools, for the 2019-2020 school year, the Ladies of Saint Mark Philoptochos Society, the Sunday Church School and GOYA partnered once again with families at Florence Fuller Child Development Centers on an outreach program to provide back to school backpacks and supplies for needy students. We more than met our goal this year is to sponsor two kindergarten classes with over 50 brand new back to school backpacks, filled with age appropriate supplies. In addition, Philoptochos donated $500 in gift cards to put a $10 Publix gift card in each backpack.
This is the second year Philoptochos has sponsored this event. For the 2018-2019 school year we sponsored with 26 children.
Florence Fuller Child Development Centers located in Boca operates two campuses: one in East Boca and one in West Boca. They serve over 700 students each year. Their objective is to improve a student’s academic performance to increase the rate of school promotions to the next grade level. Florence Fuller Child Development Center is dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged children realize their full potential both socially and academically. They provide after school care, tutoring, enrichment and summer camps to some of Boca's most needy children.
Shown here are Michelle Voicu, Kat Spiliopoulos (Project Lead from Saint Mark), Ally Vagelos and Olga Bearhope (Florence Fuller).
POLI Schools:
One of our ladies of Philoptochos will be traveling to Constantinople in two weeks for the Archon Pilgrimage. At that time, she will be taking a donation from us to His All Holiness for the benefit of the schools (elementary through high school) that are continuing to function both in Constantinople as well as in Imvros. The Imvros school opened with four elementary students about five years ago and now has both an elementary and middle school which are flourishing. All of the schools are functioning but need assistance. It's an opportunity for us to show our love for the children of the Phanar.
Meals Prepared and Delivered:
With regard to meal preparation, the Ladies of Philoptochos with volunteers from the entire Saint Mark family banded together in an effort to provide lifesaving nutrition to thousands of local malnourished children. Over one hundred volunteers stayed after Liturgy to help pack 20,000 meals in our Fellowship Hall. More than 100 parishioners assembling 20,000 meals for the hungry. The event was a remarkable opportunity for community service, and gave our parish a tangible way to make a significant difference here in South Florida. The event was made possible thanks to our partner “Feeding Children Everywhere,” who provided the materials, training, and then organized the distribution of the meals through Boca Helping Hands.
Also every third Thursday of the month, the Ladies of Philoptochos gather to support the Caring Kitchen a local soup kitchen located in Del Ray, Florida.
Current 2019 total: 1,167
Pic of Fr. Alex K. and our Ladies of Philoptochos prepping the food for Caring Kitchen.
Homeless Support:
In addition, for Make A Difference Day the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saint Mark supports HOPE South Florida which is a faith-based organization that offers a holistic response to homelessness with a focus on rapid re-housing. The Sunday Church School Students and the Ladies of the Saint Mark Ladies Philoptochos Society have partnered over the past several years to provide Toiletry bags for the Hope South Florida Mobile Shower Unit. The Mobile Shower Unit provides showers and shared meals at various locations in Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale three to four times per week. To date, we have provided over 850 toiletry bags to Hope South Florida with 200 being prepared this past weekend. The Ladies Philoptochos Society supports this project by purchasing the toiletries that are not normally donated in large quantities: Deodorant, combs, shaving cream, razors, lotion and are on hand to help prepare the bags. Pictured: the Kindergarten class of Saint Mark Sunday Church School and the children of Saint Mark.
Saint Barbara Chapter #5002
Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Daytona Beach, Florida
Saint Barbara’s Philoptochos of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona beach Florida has been helping schools around the county for the last few years. We have donated backpacks filled with school supplies in the beginning of the school year, (100 children received backpacks)also we provide meals for the holiday breaks Thanksgiving Christmas, and Easter (approximately 75-100 children’s families fed)We are also helping again with the angel tree, in the past we have provided 2 local high schools with approximately 25 to 40 gifts and stockings for children and siblings who otherwise would not get anything.
We also get a big donation from the Jaguars NFL team yearly which has helped to feed 25 to 50 families during the Christmas holiday. We choose a school or two in most need.
Saint Philothea Chapter # 5024
Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church
Greensboro, North Carolina
Operation Classroom InitiativeParticipating in the National Philoptochos Operation Classroom Initiative is reflected in a number of outreach projects the Saint Philothea Chapter of the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Greensboro, NC has been doing for many years,For the past 10 years we have been assisting the neediest children in Guilford County Schools by collecting non perishable food to help restock the food banks for 2 weekend backpack programs in our county, the Backpack Beginnings Project and the Out of the Garden Weekend Backpack Program. This year, In August, 2019, 165 pounds was delivered to the Out of the Garden program and this October, 2019, 274 pounds were delivered to The Backpack Beginnings Project. Both organizations provide weekend non perishable food for Guilford county children in families struggling with food insecurities.F or the past 15 years, each summer during the months of July and August, our Back to School Supplies for Children in Need project, collects boxes of composition and spiral notebooks, binders, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, glue sticks,and notebook paper for distribution to an economically disadvantaged elementary and high school whose students are in dire assistance of these necessary supplies to begin the school year successfully. Most recently our school supplies have been donated to the Doris Henderson Newcomers School which serves recently arrived immigrant and refugee students in grades 3-12 and to Smith High school whose student population consists of students from 44 different countries with 96% of their student population economically disadvantaged. This past August, 2019 we donated over 20 boxes of school supplies for the students at the Newcomers school and Smith HS.For the past 3 years before school is out, we have made Student Creativity Boxes full of various art supplies and paper for students selected by the art teacher at the Newcomers School. These students lack the necessary art supplies at home, and do not have the financial means to purchase them in order to continue their love of art. In June, 2019, 65 Student Creativity Boxes were donated to the Newcomers School Art Department.Our Chapter has worked closely with the social worker at the Doris Henderson Newcomers school for 11 years to insure that their neediest families have a very special Christmas. The Social Worker selects 3 to 4 families, usually newly arrived refugees who lack winter clothing, household essentials, bedding, linens, etc and provides our Chapter with needs and sizes of all family members. Our Philoptochos members and parish family then select a family member or members and items needed and then purchase and wrap their gifts. In mid December, Philoptochos members, our parish priest, and parish volunteers join the school social worker and school translator to deliver the gifts and also provide non perishable and perishable foods for each family. This year we will be sponsoring 3 families with a total of 9 children and 9 adult family members. Their household needs include bed frames and mattresses, bed linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies, cooking pots, pans, dishes. Winter clothing and new shoes are provided for all family members, as well as a special wish list item for each child.Chapter Projects
The fall and winter months are some of the busiest times in our Philoptochos Chapter! The Saint Philothea Chapter in Greensboro, North Carolina supports our National Philoptochos "Feeding the Hungry" project throughout the year with donations received in our Year Round Food Bank, which began over 12 years ago to help families facing financial difficulties. In addition, our support of the newly established "Operation Classroom" is reflected in our past 10 years partnering with the Doris Henderson Newcomers School, a unique school in the Guilford County School system, that services refugee children in grades 3 through 12 and their families. New families arrive throughout the school year with few articles of clothing and limited resources. The children are allowed to stay at the school for one year learning the language and reaching their appropiate grade level for entry into their neighborhood school. Our Philoptochos Chapter has provided the Newcomers School with school supplies, food, clothing, furniture, Christmas gifts, and summer activity boxes for these very needy children.
On October 29, 2018 the Backpack Beginnings program was recipient of 247 pounds of donated non-perishable food (which is the equivalent of 206 meals) collected in our parish during September and October. These generous donations from Philoptochos members and parishioners helped middle and high schools in Guilford County restock their Food Pantries and provide food to their neediest students.
On Sunday, October 21st our Philoptochos Chapter sponsored a Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic coordinated and administered by our own Dr. Emily Mihelich, pharmacist. Twenty four parishioners took advantage of this wonderful and convenient opportunity to receive the H1N1 and seasonal flu immunizations on this day.
Care Kits for the Homeless were assembled at our October Philoptochos Meeting and made available to all parishioners to distribute to individuals we see in and around town who may be homeless and/or in need of food. This was our Third Annual Care Kits project and provides a gallon ziploc bag filled with water bottles, packs of crackers, beef jerky, a warm hat, gloves, scarf, socks, band-aides, and hand sanitizer, all donated by Philoptochos members and parishioners and collected for over a month prior to the assembly. This year over 125 care kits were assembled.
On November 11th we remembered the military veterans in our community. Cards thanking them for their service were sent and a flag, with stars with the names and military branch for our living veterans and angels with names and military branch representing our veteran parishioners who have passed, was displayed in the Fellowship Hall.
On Saturday, November 17th Philoptochos members volunteered for the Salvation Army as Holiday Bell Ringers. For the past fifteen years, each November, our chapter schedules a day to volunteer our time and service in support of this important community outreach project.
During December several of our Philoptochos members and friends of Philoptochos visited our sick and homebound parishioners, reaching out to our brothers and sisters who have not been able to attend church. Poinsettias and pastries were also given to add holiday cheer.
As an extension of our Children in Need projects, during December our Philoptochos Chapter adopted 2 of the newest and neediest families at the Doris Henderson Newcomers School, and provided needed clothing, shoes, socks, shirts and tops, coats, and pajamas for all family members. Adults received beds, mattresses, bedding, cooking utensils, and household items, in addition to fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, and non perishable food items to assist them in meeting their everyday needs. Children were given items on their wish list such as their first doll, ball, art supplies, or game. Not only were we able to make the children’s wishes come true, but we provided enough food to each family to have many nutritional meals throughout the holiday and into the new year. Joining the school's social worker and interptreter a group of 10 including Philoptochos members, spouses, supporters of Philoptochos, and Father Sarantis, and Presvytera Norma deliverd the many gifts on December 18th to a newly arrived family from Guatemala and another family from the Congo. The excitement in the eyes of the children and the joy and appreciation from the families speaks volumes for the good deeds of our chapter and church family in their support of this most worthy project.
Neither ice nor power outages discouraged our chapter from having the blessing of Vasilopitas and our Vasilopita Auction in late January. Although we were postponed, our Auction was a huge success!
You could see RED everywhere on Sunday, February 3, 2019 in support of the Go Red for Women Movement. Members and parishioners, were encouraged to wear red and red ribbon and red dress pins were available for distribution, in addition to literature on heart health and cardiovascular disease for women. We were so pleased to see many parishioners wearing red in support of the American Heart Association and women's heart health awareness.
We held our Third Annual One Warm Coat Drive throughout the month of January. Fifty five warm coats of various sizes and a number of sweaters, scarves, and gloves were donated and delivered to the very grateful Greensboro Urban Ministry on February 5.
Our year round Food Bank is currently collecting each Sunday non perishable food items. Donations of canned vegetables and fruits, soups, oatmeal, cereal, powdered milk, beans, rice, canned tuna or chicken, and pastas collected in January and February will be delivered to The Blessed Table, a faith based area food pantry, staffed by various church volunteers, and provides food to struggling families in the Greensboro area. Our Chapter donates food items every 2 months to a Guilford County Food Program serving the greater Greensboro community to help with food insecurity in our community.
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NEW ORLEANS CHAPTER #5054
"Operation Classroom."
We have adopted Lafayette Charter School in which many students are underprivileged . Each year we have a "School Supply Drive" in August/ September. Last year we donated 100 pairs scissors, 50 note books, 25 binders, various numbers of packs of lined paper, pencils, crayolas, erasers, and pens, kleenex and hand sanitizers. Each year the teachers acknowledge our donations with much appreciation. We are proud Additional events reported in JAnuarycontinue this journey.
Additional Events reported January 2019.Our chapter celebrated the Vasilopita with a Cutting Ceremony following Liturgy. We honored individuals who have contributed to Philoptochos and the Community in many ways. We raised $2,000 to be sent to St Basil's Academy.We are preparing for a Valentine Koulourakia Sale Fund Raiser. A dozen koulourakia will be package in a gift bag and embellished with a glass heart ornament. Our ladies and spouses are great "koulourakia makers" We're anticipating a successful fund raiser.We host a monthly luncheon for our Seniors and after lunch everyone enjoys playing games of Bingo. Of course we are looking forward to Mardi Gras. and will host host a Senior Citizens Mardi Gras Themed Luncheon for our Seniors next month.
At our February Meeting , we will have a "Heart Health Program". We are fortunate to have Dr Nick Pappas, a cardiologist,and Nicole Psilos who is associated with the American Heart Association among our parishioners. They will speak to the membership in observance of the National February Heart Health Program.