Philoptochos
Philoptochos
WE ARE THE GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY, INC.
Our Mission: To promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic outreach; to preserve the sanctity of life and family; and to perpetuate and promote our Orthodox faith and traditions.
Philoptochos fulfills its mission to “help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters through its National and Metropolis Boards and its 26,000 members and more than 400 active chapters, nationwide. Philoptochos responds immediately to needs and crises and its philanthropic outreach extends to each area of the country and throughout the world. In 2019, National Philoptochos distributed $1.7 million in philanthropic aid.
Organizations We Support:
Cleveland Food Bank- The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio having served over 400,000 people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties in 2023. They do this through both food distribution and SNAP outreach efforts. https://support.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org
Zelma George Family Shelter- Welty partnered with The Salvation Army to build the Zelma George Emergency Family Shelter. The shelter contains 35 rooms and it provides housing, basic needs and social services for families in downtown Cleveland.
Fairfax and Oxford Schools -Philoptochos works with the social worker at Fairfax and Oxford schools in Cleveland Heights to provide assistance for attending students and their families by collecting clothing items: hats, gloves, coats, belts and socks. In addition to providing Daves gift cards for groceries, Philoptochos also offers financial support for programs and school families in need.
Hitchcock Center for Women -This home near Martin Luther King cultural gardens, provides 24/7 treatment for women with severe substance use issues. Additionally, they provide linkage to substance use counseling, medication management, occupational and recreational therapies. What makes Hitchcock Center for Women truly unique is that they welcome children up to the age of 12 to live on campus while their mother is receiving treatment. https://www.hcfw.org/
Children’s Home of Hope at St. Vlash Monastery near Durres, Albania-Under His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of the Orthodox Church of Albania, this home for children was completed in the 2003. It currently houses 30 children ages 5-18 and provides them with food, clothing, medical check-ups, sends them to school as well as providing for their emotional and spiritual needs. https://orthodoxalbania.org
St. Gregory Palamas Monastery, located in Hayesville, Ohio was founded in 1982 by Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, St Gregory’s is unique in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America in that it uses English in all its services. The monastery supports itself through selling beeswax candles, mounted icons, prayer ropes, and other assorted goods.
St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Mission and Chapel- Located in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, St Mary’s provides charitable and humane assistance to the needy. In 2014, a warehouse was donated and named St. Mary of Egypt and St. Michael Orthodox Center, where as part of the Cleveland Food Bank, they distribute food to the needy. http://www.saintmaryofegypt.org
St. Herman’s House- is an emergency shelter that was started in 1977 and owned and operated by Focus North America. Its’ mission is to shelter and support homeless men by providing shelter, food, occupation, clothing. https://sainthermans.org
FOCUS- Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve is an Orthodox Christian nonprofit. It works to address the ultimate cause of poverty in the world: disconnection from Christ and disconnection from one another. It does this by providing people with opportunities to serve alongside and discover their kinship with others while addressing needs in their local communities by providing Food, Occupation, Clothing, Understanding, and Shelter. They have projects in cities around the US. In Cleveland they run the St. Herman’s house. https://focusnorthamerica.org/
IOCC- International Orthodox Christian Charities has provided over 800 million dollars in relief and development of programs in more than 60 countries worldwide. They work with the Orthodox church as well as international organizations like the United Nations to meet humanitarian needs, aid in emergency response and preparedness, water sanitation and hygiene, food security and agriculture programs. https://iocc.org
OCF- Orthodox Christian Fellowship is the official collegiate campus ministry program under the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the US. Its mission is to connect orthodox students and those interested in the orthodox faith to Christ and His Church. https://www.ocf.net/
ZOE for Life! ®- This Christian ministry affirms the value of all life by providing nonjudgmental, confidential support and education during and after an unplanned pregnancy. https://zoeforlife.org
OCMC-Orthodox Christian Mission Center provides support to mission priests and their families, funds construction of churches, medical clinic and orphanages, and provides financial support to help feed and shelter orphans. missions@ocmc.org
Saint Basil Academy- is a safe haven and home for Orthodox children and families that provides a nurturing environment and material needs for children to develop while allowing families to stay intact . It is licensed by the State of New York that accepts children from all over the country. www.saintbasilacademy.org
HCHC- Hellenic College Holy Cross is the only Greek Orthodox College/Seminary in the United States. www.HCHC.edu
YOU make it possible for Philoptochos to support these and many others. THANK YOU!
