Philoptochos

What is PHILOPTOCHOS?
Philoptochos is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and has offered over 85 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of
people in the United States and throughout the world.  The Society was established in November 1931, has more than 400 active chapters and over 26,000 members.

Philoptochos responds immediately to needs and crises and its philanthropic outreach extends to each area of the country and throughout the world. This year National Philoptochos and our chapter contributed to the victims of the fires in Greece and Cyprus as well as the tornadoes in the mid-west.

Mission Statement
The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc., is the duly accredited women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of the Society shall be:

• To help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church through fund raising efforts
• To promote the charitable, benevolent, and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, through instructional programs, presentations, lectures, seminars and other educational resources
• To preserve and perpetuate Orthodox Christian concepts and the Orthodox Christian Family, and through them, to promote the Greek Orthodox Faith and traditions, in accordance with its doctrines, canons, discipline, divine worship, usages and customs
• To promote participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community, with the cooperation of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council.  The charitable work of the Society shall be performed with discretion, courtesy and kindness.

 

Philoptochos fulfills its Mission
Our local chapter fulfills this Mission through our National Philoptochos Annual Commitments, our District Commitments and by supporting our Parish and Community. Our chapter contributes over $2,000 towards our National Commitments. More information on these commitments can be found at http://www.philoptochos.org/outreach/commitments.

District Commitments include supporting St. Michael’s Home, Holy Cross Scholarship Fund, Hellenic Cultural Center and donations/monetary support for infirm and needy as requested by our District Philoptochos. District contributions are between $500 to $1,000 annually.

St. John’s Ladies Philoptochos
Our members work hard each year with our fundraising efforts to support our church and our community. For Christmas and for Easter, financial assistance is provided for the needy in our community. Our members also provide assistance when needed to the infirm when called upon. We also collect items to assist the needy in our local community through the Angel Tree donations for the holidays as well as different drives throughout the year.
We have collected items/given monetary support tor our Veterans, Stony Brook Hospital Children, Mercy House, Community Housing Innovations, Hope House, Dress for Success, St. Michael’s Home, Mather Hospital Foundation, Long Island Community Hospital, Long Island Cares, Lighthouse Mission, Special Olympics, Tunnel 2 Towers, and more. We have collected food for local food banks, cooked for parents at Ronald McDonald House, distributed meals and toiletries and helped the needy in our community.
For this past Christmas Season, our Angel Tree benefitted 28 families (120+ individuals) who were victims of abuse and human trafficking through Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island and Suffolk Children’s Advocacy Center.
Every third Sunday of the month we make sandwiches for 50 needy people which are distributed at the Patchogue train station.  In May 2022, we provided lunch for volunteers for Habitat for Humanity on Women’s Build weekend in Riverhead and we filled the pantry for a home in East Patchogue. This year, we are planning to fill the pantry for the two homes in Riverhead that we visited when we provided the lunch for the volunteers. This will be an upcoming project in March or April.  In addition to filling the pantry, we are having clothing drive to benefit Lighthouse Mission for the next couple of weeks. Our District Philoptochos has also tasked us with collecting perishable food for needy children to take home over the weekend. This will be from Mid-March through the beginning of April.
We have registered with Ronald McDonald House to cook for the families staying at the House at the end of April. It is a maximum of 12 participants so depending on how many members volunteer we may do the brunch and dinner sessions.
The last two years, we have participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach and raised money for cancer research. We plan to do this again this fall.  The community of St. John’s is most generous and assists Philoptochos in its many endeavors.

Projects Undertaken by Philoptochos to Beautify our Church
Iconostasios
Iconography: Pantokratora, Platytera, Kimisis tis Panagias
Completion of Stained Glass Windows
Emergency Roof Repairs
Kitchen and Cabinetry
Many Smaller Projects
Fundraising
Easter and Christmas Bake Sales
Annual Major Fundraiser (Chinese Auction)
Brunch with Bingo
Sunday Coffee Service
Vasilopita Brunch
Fasolatha Luncheon
Loukoumades and Frappe Sundays
Donations from Members and Community
Festival Baking
Run the pastry and loukomades stands for the Festival. All of the expenses for these two stands
(or almost all) come out of fundraising and donations so that all the proceeds from these two
stands is all profit for the church. For the 2022 festival, we raised $19,366, approximately 40%
of the net festival proceeds.

Our dues are minimal at $30 per year and of that amount, $15 goes to National Philoptochos and $8 to District Philoptochos.
Membership is what you make of it. Our members contribute their time, assist with our fundraising efforts and support our organization.
To keep up with Philoptochos and for information on our outreach and fundraising, like our Philoptochos Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/ StJohnsPhiloptochosBluePoint/