In just one month’s time, the faithful of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have responded to the call of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, raising over 1 million dollars in order to provide support to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires in Greece this summer.
The campaign, which was launched online in early August, has had a robust response from every corner of the Greek American Omogenia. Individuals of all faiths and beliefs, who heard the news of the effort, visited the website to donate. Another key aspect of the fundraising campaign has been the participation of the parishes of the Archdiocese who, following the lead of Archbishop Elpidophoros, passed collection trays in their churches on August 15, the feast of the Mother of God. Over $500,000 has been raised from the combined giving of both individuals and the parishes of the Archdiocese. In addition, the effort has been supported by several organizations from across the nation, who have made substantial donations to the effort.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, reflecting upon the news of reaching one million dollars, remarked, “This is truly a humbling response to the horrific images, videos, and stories we have all seen and heard this summer. Such a magnificent response, mostly coming from online and parish donations, reflects how deeply the faithful members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America connect with those in Greece; our relatives and friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will continue to raise the needed funds, while at the same time we will continue to pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”
As donations continue to be collected, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America continues to work hand in hand with IOCC in order to evaluate the immediate needs, while focusing on the long-term investment needed in the affected regions of Greece. Short-term needs that have been identified include providing hygiene, food, and school supplies to low-income fire-affected families, as well as agriculture supplies, while the long-term goals are currently focused on providing substantial assistance to low-income families, small businesses, and farmers.
One hundred percent of donations will go directly to those who are in need and to support the building up of local businesses throughout Greece. Any administrative costs will be fully paid separately by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. As program details are finalized in conjunction with IOCC, the Archdiocese will publicize both the NGO’s and organizations that it is working with, as well as a fully transparent accounting of all funds that have been raised and how they are spent. The full list of institutional donors can be found below.
For more information or to donate as an individual, please visit https://www.goarch.org/greecefiresdonate.