News and announcements from International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) http://www.iocc.org Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/5-9-12tsakalos-endowment.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/5-9-12tsakalos-endowment-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced the establishment of the Harry and Liberty Tsakalos Endowment for Agriculture Development and Food Security by Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Tsakalos of Phoenix, Maryland before 350 prominent Orthodox community leaders and guests at a gala celebration held in Washington DC on May 8, 2012 to mark 20 years of humanitarian service by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). The generous gift of $100,000 to the newly established fund will advance programs targeting emergency food assistance such as food distribution to people affected by natural disasters and emergencies, agricultural support and training for farmers, and other initiatives that provide effective and lasting solutions to hunger and life-saving nourishment to vulnerable families around the world ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/5-9-12tsakalos-endowment.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-9-12tsakalos-endowment.aspx Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:15:00 EST International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the global humanitarian relief organization of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, has named five prominent Orthodox Christian community leaders as the recipients of its Compassion at Work Award: Charles R. Ajalat, Andrew A. Athens, Dr. George J. Farha, George M. Marcus, and John G. Rangos, Sr. The five visionary men were selected to receive the inaugural award for their extraordinary philanthropic contributions to the organization's mission and its continued success over the past 20 years. In announcing the recipients, IOCC Board Chairman, Michael S. "Mickey" Homsey said, "As International Orthodox Christian Charities celebrates 20 years of delivering humanitarian service to those in need around the world, it owes a debt of gratitude to these men whose faith and philanthropic spirit served as the catalyst in developing IOCC as the humanitarian arm of the Orthodox Church in North America and as a unified ministry for the Orthodox community to express its faith in compassionate and tangible ways." ... http://www.iocc.org/news/4-30-12compassions-awards.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/4-30-12compassions-awards.aspx Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/4-27-12greece.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/4-27-12greece-photo1-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> As Greece faces its most severe economic crisis in decades, struggling Greek families are seeking medical assistance more than ever, with the greatest demand coming from elderly retirees whose pensions have been dramatically reduced by the Greek government's austerity measures. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in cooperation with Apostoli, the social service agency of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Athens, and Doctors of the World-Greece, is responding to the overwhelming need for medical assistance with financial support and medical supplies destined for free clinics in some of the poorest neighborhoods in greater Athens ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/4-27-12greece.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/4-27-12greece.aspx Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://iocc.org/news/3-15-12_gala-hillman.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/20thanniversarygala_hillman-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> In celebration of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) two decades of faith-based humanitarian work, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Orthodox Christian, Chris Hillman, will perform at the organization's 20th Anniversary Gala on May 8, 2012, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. Hillman, whose multi-faceted musical career spans five decades, gained popular recognition as a founding member of The Byrds, one of the most influential American rock bands of the 1960s. Their biggest hit song, "Turn, Turn, Turn," carries a message of peace and tolerance inspired by Biblical verses taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The song remains a rock classic and one of a few examples of scripture set to popular music ... </p> http://iocc.org/news/3-15-12_gala-hillman.aspx http://iocc.org/news/3-15-12_gala-hillman.aspx Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/2-15-12syria.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/2-15-12syria-photo1-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is taking steps to assist the growing number of Syrian families displaced throughout their country and a rising number of Syrian refugees who are arriving to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. While many displacements have been temporary, the conflict has caused damage and destruction of homes and farmland, leaving families homeless and forced to flee the violence. Exact figures of temporary or longer term displacement in the country have been difficult to obtain however, IOCC and its Syrian partner, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) are in the process of collecting these figures. As concern grows over the plight of displaced families in Syria, IOCC and GOPA in cooperation with the Syrian Red Crescent are working to identify the most urgent needs of these families including housing assistance, aid for displaced schoolchildren, essential hygiene and household items, infant supplies, medical kits and heating fuel. GOPA teams are visiting displaced families resettled in Damascus, while IOCC staff in both Jordan and Lebanon are working to attend to the needs of Syrian refugees pouring into both countries ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/2-15-12syria.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/2-15-12syria.aspx Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-20-12greece.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-20-12greece-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> Each day the streets of Athens become more crowded with families newly evicted from their homes due to job loss and the inability to pay their bills. As Greece's escalating economic woes drive more and more families into a desperate struggle to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in cooperation with Apostoli, the social service agency of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Athens, is putting your support to work securing food aid packages for impoverished families and jobs for the unemployed. The job shortage is especially dire for young workers under 25 with more than 46 percent of them without a job according to EU statistics. Through your desire to help, IOCC is supporting Apostoli's efforts to employ young people for jobs collecting, sorting and packaging food items from donation centers set up in 213 participating supermarkets in Greece. From a warehouse space donated by the Greek army, the newly hired workers assemble 30-pound parcels containing enough food staples such as flour, rice, beans, milk and canned tomatoes to feed a family of four for a month ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-20-12greece.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-20-12greece.aspx Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-12-12haiti.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-12-12haiti-photo1-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> They call it the House of Love, one of only five such special needs schools in the entire country of Haiti. Two years ago, students like these two young girls faced an uncertain future when their school, Foyer d'Amour, was severely damaged during a devastating earthquake that leveled the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The school staff, determined that these children's education continue, built a temporary facility across the street. Through your outpouring of support, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) equipped the Orthodox Church-sponsored school with everything it needed - from teacher's salaries to basic school supplies - to stay open. Since the 2010 earthquake that left 300,000 people dead and 1.5 million survivors homeless, IOCC has delivered $4 million of direct assistance in emergency food and hygiene items, school and sanitation reconstruction projects, and reforestation programs to help mitigate future natural disasters in Haiti. (PHOTO: Paul Jeffrey) </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-12-12haiti.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-12-12haiti.aspx Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:45:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-11-12somalia.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-9-12somalia-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> As the young refugee children of Somalia's famine begin to regain their strength under the watchful care of international relief organizations, many are heading back to class in one of the several elementary schools existing in the refugee camp of Bokolomanyo and other nearby camps in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia. For their older brothers and sisters, the nearest high school is more than 60 miles away leaving displaced refugee families desperate to find an accessible and safe place for their adolescent sons and daughters to complete their education. Responding to their needs and a desire to help, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) is constructing the first high school in Bokolomanyo for teen refugees. The hundreds of teenaged boys and girls now living in Bokolmanyo camp have endured years of Somalia's internal conflict, drought and displacement that denied them stable communities in which to attend school on a regular basis. As a result, more than 500 of these young Somali refugees aged 15 to 20 have not had the opportunity to complete their education ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-11-12somalia.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-11-12somalia.aspx Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-7-12greece.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-7-12greece-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> In a society where family is paramount, the current plight of Greek children is especially alarming. Tough government austerity measures and a struggling economy have given birth to the "new poor", a term used to describe the tens of thousands of middle-class Greeks, particularly parents struggling to feed their children and to keep a roof over their heads. The desperation of many parents has led to a dramatic increase in families asking local charities to take their children off their hands. In some cases, children are being abandoned on the doorsteps of these non-profits and left to fend for themselves. While the international media spotlights the economic crisis unfolding in Greece, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Executive Director, Constantine Triantafilou, witnessed firsthand the human toll unfolding right on the streets of Athens during his visit to Greece in December. Mothers and fathers who once had good jobs until their shops and businesses closed have become homeless and, with nowhere to turn to for help, are forced to find shelter for their families on the streets in the dead of winter. The haunting faces of gaunt children stare vacantly at nothing, too weak to complain about having gone days without regular meals ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-7-12greece.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-7-12greece.aspx Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-6-12serbia.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-6-12serbia-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> The past year has been a struggle for the villagers living in and around Vitanovac, Serbia, the epicenter of a jarring 5.4 earthquake last November that left two people dead and tens of thousands of people homeless. With winter coming and the need for assistance still critical, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) through ongoing support from the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, is delivering much needed relief to families still laboring to rebuild their homes and replace belongings destroyed in the earthquake. IOCC latest efforts include a shipment of bed linens, baby kits and quilts to vulnerable rural families living around Vitanovac, a village just a few miles away from the city of Kraljevo. The distributions are being done in cooperation with the Red Cross of Serbia. Through a generous gift from the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, IOCC also provided wood burning stoves and firewood for 150 families last spring as well as hygiene kits and personal care products for the elderly ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-6-12serbia.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-6-12serbia.aspx Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://iocc.org/news/12-29-11_action-teams.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/12-29-11_action-teams-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a> Since the devastating hurricanes in 2005, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has provided over 600 volunteers and thousands of man-hours to help surviving families along the Gulf Coast rebuild their lives by constructing new homes or doing critical renovations to existing ones. Working in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, IOCC expanded its efforts last year by sending Orthodox Action Teams to build homes in Houston. For 2012, IOCC will extend its humanitarian reach with more home construction and restoration projects set for Houston and for Minneapolis, which suffered a destructive tornado last summer. IOCC is currently recruiting volunteers for one week of active service in Houston or Minneapolis. You do not need to be skilled - just energetic! Activities vary depending on location and construction schedules, but can include siding, roofing, framing, landscaping, painting and support... </p> http://iocc.org/news/12-29-11_action-teams.aspx http://iocc.org/news/12-29-11_action-teams.aspx Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:45:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-11_ethiopia.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/12-01-11_ethiopia-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>As church liturgy concludes at St. Mikael's Church in Assela, Ethiopia, loudspeakers announce the availability of free HIV testing for couples and pregnant women. Mesay, a 30-year-old expectant mother dressed in her Sunday best, steps over to the nearby tent to be tested for the HIV virus for the first time. Older women volunteers, trusted members of the community, mill about the crowd and encourage other mothers and couples to get tested for the well-being of their family's future. The testing was offered by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), working in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) as part of a special awareness campaign on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. Since initiating small-scale activities in 2003, IOCC's program in Ethiopia has expanded nationwide, culminating with an HIV/AIDS education and awareness program that has reached over 11.5 million Ethiopians with prevention and awareness messages... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-11_ethiopia.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-11_ethiopia.aspx Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/11-02-11_haiti.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/11-02-11_haiti-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>It takes ten-year-old Lovena almost one and half hours to walk to school every morning from her rural mountain village in Plateau de Fin, Haiti, but she doesn't mind. She and her classmates from the area surrounding the town of Embouchure welcomed the beginning of their academic year this month in a brand new school. Putting your support into action, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) along with ACT Alliance partner, Finn Church Aid provided assistance for the demolition of the old school severely damaged in the 2010 earthquake and the construction of a new earthquake and hurricane resistant building... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/11-02-11_haiti.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/11-02-11_haiti.aspx Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:16:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/10-07-11_africa.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/10-07-11ethiopia-camp-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>As record drought and famine continue to threaten the lives of more than 13 million people in the Horn of Africa, it is the children who suffer the most. More than 600,000 suffer from life-threatening malnutrition. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) takes you inside the refugee camps of Dolo Ado in Ethiopia for a firsthand look at how IOCC is putting your support into action, trying to save the lives of famine's most vulnerable victims... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/10-07-11_africa.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/10-07-11_africa.aspx Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/9-9-11_remembering9-11.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/9-9-11_remembering9-11-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Dear IOCC Friends, Ten years ago, our world was forever changed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and on our nation's capital at the Pentagon. The human loss from that event was unimaginably tragic and a painful reminder that tragedy strikes everywhere, and that we need to be prepared everywhere. As a global humanitarian organization, IOCC delivers relief everywhere from our shores and beyond. Out of the ashes of 9/11 rose our Emergency Response Network, a nationwide team of 60 courageous men and women trained as early responders to bring relief to victims of disaster, whether manmade or natural. From helping to rebuild family homes in the Gulf Coast post-Hurricane Katrina, comforting traumatized students following the Virginia Tech shootings, to delivering lifesaving food and medicine to famine victims in the refugee camps of Dollo Ado, Ethiopia, 9/11 served as the catalyst for creating the team of frontliners ever vigilant and ever ready to provide the tools needed to aid those in distress... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/9-9-11_remembering9-11.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/9-9-11_remembering9-11.aspx Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:19:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/9-2-11baltimore-hurricane.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/9-2-11baltimore-hurricane-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Orthodox Christian teens gathered recently at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore to fill dozens of oversized buckets with sponges, trashbags, gloves and cleaning supplies in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. The hurricane relief efforts were supported by the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. More than 100 cleanup buckets were assembled and donated by Orthodox churches in Maryland to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for distribution to storm victims, still cleaning up after excessive winds and rains left behind an estimated $1 billion in damage from North Carolina to the coast of Maine. Irene was the 10th weather-related disaster resulting in $1 billion or more in damage so far this year, according to the National Climatic Data Center. </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/9-2-11baltimore-hurricane.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/9-2-11baltimore-hurricane.aspx Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/8-19-11world-humanitarian.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/8-19-11world-humanitarian-day-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) marks World Humanitarian Day with gratitude to our many supporters whose humanitarian spirit allows us to serve the world's most vulnerable groups of people. As we have prayed together for the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami disasters, and for the victims of the U.S. tornadoes that devastated America's heartland, we now ask that you pray with us for the victims of the Horn of Africa famine... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/8-19-11world-humanitarian.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/8-19-11world-humanitarian.aspx Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:20:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/8-16-11africa.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/8-16-11africa-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>As more than 120,000 people fleeing famine in Somalia crowd into the Dollo Ado refugee camps in Ethiopia, the lack of adequate sanitation is creating a breeding ground for measles, cholera, and other diseases. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) is taking action to improve sanitation conditions and help avert the spread of disease among the refugees. Working with local healthcare agencies, IOCC is providing the materials needed to build some 50 latrines in the refugee camps and is on site overseeing this vital preventive health activity. IOCC Ethiopia Country Representative, Sigurd Hanson, says that the current camp conditions are ripe for an epidemic... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/8-16-11africa.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/8-16-11africa.aspx Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/8-11-11ethiopia.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/8-11-11ethiopia-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>This Somali family walked for five days to reach the Dollo Ado Refugee camps in Ethiopia. As many as 1000 people every day cross from Somalia into Ethiopia fleeing famine, which has now been declared in five areas in southern Somalia and is expected to spread across all regions of the south in the coming four to six weeks. IOCC is in Ethiopia assisting local relief partners with efforts to bring food, water and medical care to the severely malnourished famine victims, most of which are women and young children. The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society announced its support for the relief efforts with a $20,000 grant toward IOCC's efforts in the Horn of Africa ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/8-11-11ethiopia.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/8-11-11ethiopia.aspx Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://iocc.org/news/8-8-11gaza.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/8-8-11gaza-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>More than 10,000 children and their parents in the Gaza Strip will soon have better access to reliable food sources through a new program launched by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). IOCC was awarded $3.75 million to assist 1,400 selected households start and maintain family gardens, or to raise fish or small livestock such as chickens and rabbits. The award was made by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Mercy Corps as part of a larger initiative in the Gaza Strip. Sam Dunlap, country representative for IOCC Jerusalem, says these activities build on IOCC's current activities in the Gaza Strip, in which IOCC is rehabilitating greenhouses, digging water catchments and providing water irrigation systems. "Ideally, this chain of activities will produce a surplus of food for the families' needs, and ultimately develop into extra sources of income that will allow them to flourish." ... </p> http://iocc.org/news/8-8-11gaza.aspx http://iocc.org/news/8-8-11gaza.aspx Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/7-21-11africa.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/7-21-11africa-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Responding to the United Nations announcement declaring a famine in two regions of Somalia, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC), is delivering financial assistance to provide critically needed healthcare support for millions of people in the Horn of Africa suffering through one of the worst droughts in history. Through its emergency healthcare partners, IOCC support puts nursing and public healthcare specialists into action to aid victims of this unfolding massive humanitarian crisis. Their efforts address lifesaving needs in southern Ethiopian refugee camps of Bokolmanyo, Malkadida, as well as Kobe, where UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, estimates that more than half of the camp's population is acutely malnourished, and Dollo Ado, where refugee numbers have swelled the camp to five times its capacity and stretched aid resources to the limit ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/7-21-11africa.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/7-21-11africa.aspx Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/7-12-11africa.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/7-12-11africa-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>As more than ten million men, women and children face hunger and life-threatening health consequences from the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in 60 years, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is responding with aid to relieve victims of the worst food shortage crisis in the world today. Working in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) and partner agency International Medical Corps (IMC), IOCC is delivering financial support to help alleviate the emergency needs of Somali refugees in southern camps of Ethiopia ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/7-12-11africa.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/7-12-11africa.aspx Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/6-30-11greece.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/6-30-10greece-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Almost four years since wildfires devastated much of southern Greece, young Greek farmers committed to restoring their land received words of encouragement last week from visiting International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Executive Director, Constantine Triantafilou. More than 200 Greek farmers and family members from the Prefecture of Ileia gathered in the courtyard of the local farming resource center to hear Triantafilou praise their ongoing efforts to restore farms and revive agricultural activity following the 2007 wildfires that devastated Greece ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/6-30-11greece.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/6-30-11greece.aspx Fri, 27 May 2011 14:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/5-27-11southern-states.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/5-27-11southern-states-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>From Joplin, Missouri to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, International Orthodox Christian Charities, IOCC, is working to deliver relief items such as clean up buckets and blankets to victims of one of the deadliest tornado seasons to strike the U.S. heartland in half a century. Joplin, Missouri was the hardest hit, with at least 125 people killed and hundreds more still unaccounted for after the deadliest single twister ever recorded leveled a six mile swath of the town last Sunday night. IOCC and partner agency, Church World Service, are working closely with local churches from the affected area to identify and meet immediate needs such as food and shelter, and services like laundry and property clean up ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/5-27-11southern-states.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-27-11southern-states.aspx Fri, 20 May 2011 17:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/5-20-11japan.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/5-20-11japan-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is providing more than $350,000 in support of local community groups providing ongoing relief services to the more than 168,000 people who remain homeless following the earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11 in Japan. IOCC has focused on providing critical services where gaps are found in the official disaster response and recovery efforts. Assistance includes distribution of basic relief items, the provision of hot meals, and assistance in locating available housing for people who were displaced by the tsunami as well as evacuees from the zone around the Fukushima Nuclear power plant. Debris removal efforts around Ishinomaki City in the hard-hit Miyagi Prefecture are also being provided... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/5-20-11japan.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-20-11japan.aspx Fri, 13 May 2011 20:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/5-13-11southern-states.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/5-13-11southern-states-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>A shipment of personal health kits, many of which were donated by Orthodox Christians from across the United States, have been shipped by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) to Birmingham, Alabama for distribution to survivors of recent severe storms and tornadoes that devastated the area in late April. The kits, valued at more than $120,000, represent the first of several planned shipments of relief supplies that have been requested following an assessment by one of IOCC's Frontline responders working in Alabama. The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society also announced its support today for the IOCC response to Alabama and flood areas along the Mississippi River and committed $20,000 from the Society's National Emergency Fund... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/5-13-11southern-states.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-13-11southern-states.aspx Thu, 05 May 2011 16:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/5-5-11southern-states.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/5-5-11southern-states-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is sending members of its Frontline, a volunteer network of highly trained, credentialed and experienced emergency response personnel, to respond to the relief and recovery efforts in northern Alabama following severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that devastated the area on April 27. Deacon Dan Gray, of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese and Commander of the US Navy (Retired), also responded to the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina and has worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He will begin working in northern Alabama on May 5 to conduct a needs assessment, meet with local Orthodox parishes and partners, and coordinate relief efforts for IOCC. </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/5-5-11southern-states.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-5-11southern-states.aspx Wed, 04 May 2011 20:30:00 EST International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) announced its support today for efforts by Christian churches in Japan to provide housing for as many as 1,000 families in the Japanese prefectures hardest hit by the tsunami -- Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate. Working together with Church World Service and in support of the National Christian Council in Japan and the Japan Lutheran Emergency Relief, assistance is being provided to match families with offers of housing made by member churches. The housing service is being administered by the National Christian Council in Japan at its central office in Tokyo and local churches are assisting in matching families who are in need of housing in the affected prefectures. IOCC is providing $100,000 toward the planned $1 million initiative. In addition to providing housing, families participating in the program will be provided with transportation, solar light sets, basic household items and utility expenses for a two month period ... http://www.iocc.org/news/5-04-11japan.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/5-04-11japan.aspx Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/4-29-11southern-states.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/4-29-11southern-states-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Following a historic series of storms in the southern United States that claimed the lives of more than 200 people, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has been in contact with Orthodox Christian communities and partner organizations in several U.S. States to assess the needs of survivors. "While some areas of the United States have been unseasonably dry and experiencing widespread fires, there have been reports of more than 750 tornadoes already this year," says IOCC Executive Director Constantine Triantafilou. "We have been contacting Orthodox hierarchs and parishes, ecumenical partners, and local authorities in communities across the South and Midwest to assess the needs and offer our support." </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/4-29-11southern-states.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/4-29-11southern-states.aspx Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:15:00 EST Nearly a month after the fourth largest earthquake ever recorded struck the eastern coast of Japan and touched off a devastating tsunami, earthquakes continue to rattle the nerves of survivors and complicate relief efforts. More than thirty earthquakes measuring 6.0 and above on the Richter scale have been experienced in eastern Japan as efforts to assist survivors and rebuild continue. Over the past three weeks the staff of the Sendai Diocese of the Orthodox Church in Japan have been working to assess the needs of survivors, account for the Orthodox faithful and survey the condition of Church properties along the coastal areas impacted by the disasters. Six Orthodox faithful were lost in the disasters, four are still missing and one church was totally destroyed by the tsunami and fire, reported Fr. Clement Kodama, Secretary to Bishop Seraphim of the Sendai Diocese. The Orthodox Church of Japan will convene a meeting of its bishops on April 12 in Tokyo to hear reports on the current needs in the disaster area and plan for the continued response and reconstruction efforts ... http://www.iocc.org/news/4-07-11japan.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/4-07-11japan.aspx Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://iocc.org/news/3-18-11japan-earthquake.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/3-18-11japan-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>With financial support from an emergency grant of $25,000 from the National Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society and contributions by private donors, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) will provide humanitarian assistance such as medicines, food and other essential items to communities in the earthquake and tsunami-damaged Pacific coastal districts of Japan in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaragi. The assistance is being distributed by the Orthodox Church in Japan in cooperation with regional authorities. All of the aid to be distributed is expected to be obtained locally in Japan. Initial efforts by IOCC and the Orthodox Church in Japan will focus on an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people who have been displaced from coastal communities by the earthquake and tsunami. The Church is also working to assess the needs of people displaced from the cities of Ishinomaki, Yamada and Kesennuma that remain largely inaccessible because of the damage and lack of fuel ... </p> http://iocc.org/news/3-18-11japan-earthquake.aspx http://iocc.org/news/3-18-11japan-earthquake.aspx Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:20:00 EST International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has been in contact with the Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan and our ACT Alliance partners to assess the emerging needs following the massive earthquake and tsunami which devastated north eastern Japan on March 11. IOCC is also reaching out to the Metropolis of Korea which is also the Exarchate for Japan under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As the Orthodox Church in Japan works to assess the needs of survivors, it reports that one priest in Tohoku, Japan is missing. "Most of the church buildings in Tohoku parish along the Pacific coast are severely damaged and one priest is missing," reports Fr. Demitrios Tanaka of the Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan. "However, we confirmed that the clergy of Sendai Orthodox Church, including Bishop Seraphim, are safe." Given that most of the communications infrastructure was damaged, the Orthodox Church of Japan is still assessing the safety and exact needs of parishioners in the affected areas ... http://www.iocc.org/news/3-14-11japan.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/3-14-11japan.aspx Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:40:00 EST As survivors begin to piece back their lives in the New Zealand city of Christchurch following a 6.3 magnitude quake that struck on February 22, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New Zealand has initiated efforts to provide assistance to those who have lost homes and places of work. The death toll in Christchurch stands at 148, but authorities expect it to rise to near 200. IOCC is working to support relief efforts personally led by His Eminence Archbishop Amfilochios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New Zealand and Exarch of Oceania who visited Christchurch just days after the initial quake to assess the damage and the needs of the people. Emergency supplies such as water, blankets, food and other essential items are being provided for families affected by the earthquake ... http://www.iocc.org/news/3-01-11new-zealand.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/3-01-11new-zealand.aspx Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST In response to widespread catastrophic flooding centered in the Australian state of Queensland over the past two months, His Grace Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand has designated one of his parishes as a recovery center to provide direct assistance to families affected by the natural disaster. The center, to be located at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Wacol, Australia and staffed primarily by volunteers, is being established with the assistance of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). The center will distribute cleaning kits and repair kits to flood victims and a mobile team will assist in cleaning and restoring homes. The team will be organized by the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia to assist the elderly and single parent households ... http://www.iocc.org/news/2-17-11australia.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/2-17-11australia.aspx Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:15:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/2-09-11greece.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/2-09-11greece-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Wildfires that swept through southern Greece in 2007 claimed 84 people, over 25,000 cattle and sheep and destroyed more than 667,000 acres of farmland, homes and forests. Three years later, small family farms on the Peloponnese Peninsula may become the next victims of the disaster as Greece's economic struggles and the difficult farming conditions challenge the economic viability of the region's small farms. A $300,000 grant from the Greek Fire Relief Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) aims to help young families in the Prefecture of Ileia to modernize their small family farms and help them become economically viable. The six month project will focus on the areas around Zacharo, Oleni, Pinia, Andritsena, and Alifira ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/2-09-11greece.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/2-09-11greece.aspx Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/2-01-11chairman.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/chairman-mickey-homsey-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Oklahoma City attorney Michael S. "Mickey" Homsey was named as the new chairman of the Board of Directors for International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), a humanitarian relief and development organization of Orthodox Christians based in Baltimore, Maryland. Homsey succeeds Alex Machaskee who served two two-year terms as the chairman of the board, the maximum allowed by the organization's charter. "The IOCC Board, staff and volunteers have shown an extraordinary dedication in their response to people in times of need and to addressing human suffering and poverty in more than 30 countries over the past twenty years," said Homsey ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/2-01-11chairman.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/2-01-11chairman.aspx Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST <p><a href="https://www.iocc.org/giving/giving_souperbowl2011.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/souperbowl-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Join with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in our 13th consecutive Souper Bowl of Caring by mobilizing your parish to feed the poor and care for those in need around the world. This is a great way to involve your youth in social service ministry. And it's easy! Just follow the simple guidelines and let your youth become Souper Bowl MVPs! Your youth can collect donations on or near February 6, 2011 and direct the collected donations to IOCC or a local charity of their choosing ... </p> https://www.iocc.org/giving/giving_souperbowl2011.aspx https://www.iocc.org/giving/giving_souperbowl2011.aspx Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST <p><a href="http://iocc.org/news/1-04-11haiti-page3.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-11-11haiti-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Thank you for your important contribution to support the people of Haiti during this past year. With your help, nearly 200,000 people in Haiti have received vital assistance through IOCC over the past twelve months. Emergency aid delivered in the days and weeks following the disaster sustained life with the help of medicines and medical equipment, essential food, clean water, tents, fuel, blankets and mattresses. Since the earthquake, IOCC has been working with survivors to address the long-term need for permanent housing, clean water and sanitation, and other basic necessities ... </p> http://iocc.org/news/1-04-11haiti-page3.aspx http://iocc.org/news/1-04-11haiti-page3.aspx Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/1-04-11haitians-remain-vulnerable.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/1-4-11haiti-photo-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>A year after a 7.0 earthquake devastated the lives of millions of Haitians reminders of the disaster -- and the continued need -- are everywhere. "Beyond the immediate needs that emerged following the disaster, the earthquake has exposed the suffering of the Haitian people," observed Constantine M. Triantafilou, IOCC executive director. "Much remains to be done to address the long-term need for permanent housing, clean water and sanitation, and other basic necessities that will help to restore justice, dignity and peace for the people of Haiti." International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has provided $4 million in direct assistance to the people of Haiti since January 12, 2010. Yet, the level of devastation that required one of the largest relief operations in history has been complicated by a fragile infrastructure, limited government capacity and soaring poverty levels ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/1-04-11haitians-remain-vulnerable.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/1-04-11haitians-remain-vulnerable.aspx Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:20:00 EST The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded $26.4 million to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for a program in Lebanon that will improve student achievement, expand after-school programs, provide training for public school teachers and upgrade educational facilities in 600 Lebanese public schools over the next four years. The program is part of a $75 million initiative that will be implemented in 1,400 schools in cooperation with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and five other agencies, including the Education Development Center which is managing the entire initiative for USAID. http://www.iocc.org/news/12-08-10lebanon.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/12-08-10lebanon.aspx Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article1"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/parishrep-dec2010christmascatalog-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Are you looking for a unique holiday gift that will not only be appreciated by your friends and loved ones but change a life?! By making a special Christmas gift to a loved one through the IOCC "Gift of Love" Catalog you can help alleviate suffering and provide opportunities for young people to learn, help impoverished rural communities to cultivate sustainable sources of food, and provide healing medicines to those in need ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article1 http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article1 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST Are you interested in gaining firsthand experience working with an international humanitarian aid organization or know someone who is? If so, consider applying for an IOCC internship for the summer of 2011. IOCC anticipates offering one internship opportunity in each of the following field offices: Jerusalem/West Bank, Beirut, Lebanon, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For more information about the internship program and how to submit an application, please visit the IOCC Internship Page. http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_internship1.aspx http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_internship1.aspx Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article3"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/parishrep-dec2010gaza-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>At the end of this month, we will celebrate Christ's birth in the Holy Land. While Christ is the Prince of Peace, there are many still struggling from violence in the area. The war and conflict in the Gaza Strip has caused extensive damage to the lives and livelihoods of over 1.5 million Palestinians. More than two years of strict blockade has left Gaza's economy crippled with more than 80% of its inhabitants dependent on assistance. IOCC has been providing such assistance since early 2009, and was recently awarded its fourth grant from the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) in the amount of $750,000 to provide short-term emergency relief assistance for the vulnerable population in poor and remote areas of the Gaza Strip during the winter ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article3 http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article3 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article4"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/parishrep-dec2010pumpkinkids-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>On October 31st, twenty five children from Saints Constantine and Helen of Swansea, IL each took home a small pumpkin chosen from the church lawn. The children adorned them with colorful plumes, glittering attachments, smiling faces, and, in some cases, unidentified goop, globs, and glitter to be displayed and auctioned off at the parish's Thanksgiving Dinner celebration. In the past, the youth have participated in similar projects, with funds benefiting the parish's youth fund. This year, however, they decided to send the funds to IOCC to help other children in need around the globe ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article4 http://www.iocc.org/getinvolved_parishrepemail12-10web.aspx#article4 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-10ethiopia-hiv.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/12-01-10ethiopia-hiv-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (IOCC) -- At eighteen years old, Tilahun is barely an adult, but he is already almost middle-aged. Tilahun lost his brother and father to AIDS in a country where the disease has claimed the lives of millions of people and lowered the life expectancy to 48 years. Now he cares for his bedridden, HIV-positive mother and his three younger siblings as the head of the household. More than one million children like Tilahun and his siblings have been orphaned or left to fend for themselves as a result of the AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-10ethiopia-hiv.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/12-01-10ethiopia-hiv.aspx Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:30:00 EST International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is working with Philanthropy, the charitable fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and local organizations to assess the needs following a moderate 5.3 earthquake that struck central Serbia on November 3 claiming at least two lives and injuring more than fifty people. The temblor was centered near the city of Kraljevo where it destroyed or damaged buildings and left parts of the city without utility services, according to Interior Ministry of Serbia. The area is 30 miles from institutions where IOCC is implementing projects to assist disabled children and adults. There have been no reports of damage to the facilities, although the residents were shaken by the tremor. "As we know from the earthquake in Haiti earlier this year, beyond the damage to buildings, loss of life and the immediate physical needs, the psychological effects of the earthquake can be deeply felt," observed Constantine M. Triantafilou, IOCC executive director ... http://iocc.org/news/11-08-10serbia.aspx http://iocc.org/news/11-08-10serbia.aspx Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EST <p><a href="http://www.iocc.org/news/10-19-10georgia-visit.aspx"><img src="http://www.iocc.org/images/news/10-19-10georgia-visit-rss.jpg" align="left" height="144" width="144" alt="IOCC" border="0" /></a>Tbilisi, Georgia -- During a visit to Georgia, His Grace, Bishop Michael of New York and New Jersey of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) gave his blessing to the IOCC staff and was briefed on current humanitarian initiatives in the country. Bishop Michael was in Georgia at the invitation of the Georgian Orthodox Church for the occasion of the celebration of the 1000th Anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Life-Giving Tree in Mtskheta, Georgia ... </p> http://www.iocc.org/news/10-19-10georgia-visit.aspx http://www.iocc.org/news/10-19-10georgia-visit.aspx