• October 7th – Virginia Beach, VA – Golf Tournament
  visit www.iocc.org/virginia for more information

• October 11th – Baltimore, MD – Orthodox Taste of Baltimore
  visit www.iocc.org/baltimore for more information

• October 16th – Pittsburgh, PA – Wine Tasting
  visit www.iocc.org/pittsburgh for more information

• October 18th – Cleveland, OH – Baseball Night
  visit www.iocc.org/cleveland for more information

• October 25th – Charlotte, NC – Annual Dinner
  visit www.iocc.org/charlotte for more information

• October 26th – Washington, DC – Annual Dinner
  visit www.iocc.org/dc for more information

• October 26th – Syracuse, NY – Pancake Breakfast
  visit www.iocc.org/newyork for more information

October Parish Bulletin Announcement Please post this announcement in your weekly or monthly bulletin. Hurricane Ike Relief: IOCC is sending emergency response teams to Houston, TX to deliver emergency supplies and provide trauma counseling in partnership with the American Red Cross. To help us speed relief today, call IOCC’s donation hotline toll-free at 1-877-803-4622, make a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or mail a check or money order payable to “IOCC” and write “US Emergency Response” in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225. Hope for Kosovo: Every dollar you donate to IOCC for Kosovo is still being matched up to $100,000. Help us repair schools, provide educational programs, and sustainable agriculture training to families living in the most isolated communities of Kosovo. You can help us continue providing assistance to communities in Kosovo by making a donation today. Call IOCC’s donation hotline toll-free at 1-877-803-4622, make a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or mail a check or money order payable to “IOCC” and write “Kosovo” in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

OCTOBER VOLUNTEER ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The 2008-2009 Children’s Prayer Journal was mailed out last month. Please share this great activity journal with all the children you know. Use the order form found here to order single copies. To order more than one copy, contact the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese [800-566-1088]. The prayer journal is free, but shipping charges may apply.

• IOCC Sunday is Nov. 23rd — The Sunday before Thanksgiving has been designated by our hierarchs as “IOCC Sunday.” You and your priest will be receiving an encyclical from the SCOBA hierarchs encouraging your support. You will also receive camera-ready announcements (ad slicks) for your bulletins. Please discuss with your parish council and priest how your parish will observe this day. You can download the IOCC encyclical and ad slicks at www.iocc.org/materials.

• You should have received the first of two Christmas appeals. This package includes five Christmas cards which are a perfect way to wish your loved ones blessings of this season. Please respond to this appeal and encourage your fellow parishioners to do the same. If you or members of your parish would like to order more cards, you may order packs of 10 for $8.95 at Light and Life Publishing Company at 952.925.3888 or click here.

• New Financial Procedures are ready for all Metropolitan Committees to use. If you are currently in charge of your committee’s finances, please contact IOCC if you have additional questions after the procedures are sent out.

• Please continue posting the Priest to Priest on your parish bulletin boards and order IOCC informational materials at www.iocc.org/materialsrequest. Many times you are the only resource people have to keep them aware and up to date on what IOCC is doing!

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH — Ruzana Hedges

As my husband was working during the summer in Baltimore and I was looking for something interesting and useful to do, I decided to call IOCC and see if I could be of any use. That’s how I started volunteering for IOCC. Throughout my time at IOCC I was helping the Outreach Coordinator promote IOCC work by opening accounts in My Space, Face Book and Orthodox Circle. It was an interesting experience for me to learn how these programs work. I also enjoyed helping IOCC organize one of their benefit concerts at the Baltimore Cathedral Annunciation Center and learned how to cook my first Baklava! I have enjoyed my time volunteering at IOCC. The people were absolutely great — friendly, nice and full of energy to do their work. I am glad that I not only had the opportunity to work with professionals, but made good friends as well. To learn more about Ruzana, visit www.iocc.org/faithinaction!

UNITED STATES

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) mobilized its Emergency Response Network for this year’s bad weather including the Iowa floods and Hurricane Ike. IOCC remains in communication with the local Orthodox churches in the troubled areas and has sent out IOCC staff and Orthodox clergy known as the “Frontline” to respond to needs there. The IOCC emergency appeal is still in effect with money going towards immediate clean-up and recovery efforts. Orthodox faithful, including Sunday Schools, youth groups and others, can provide emergency clean-up buckets and health kits for shipment to the Gulf Coast. For information on how to create one of these kits please visit www.iocc.org/kits. IOCC distributed 1,000 such kits in New Orleans and Baton Rouge immediately following Hurricane Gustav.

IOCC’s Volunteer in the Gulf program just finished its second season. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, 400 IOCC volunteers aided in building more than 100 homes in the Gulf Coast. IOCC anticipates starting up its third season of the program in the spring of 2009. To learn more about how you can participate in the gulf program, go www.iocc.org/gulfcoast!