25 Years 25 Ways

From 1992 to 2017: IOCC Celebrates a Quarter Century! We envision that, by God's grace, IOCC will respond, without discrimination, to those who are suffering and in need, to enable them to continue to improve their own lives and communities and to have means to live with dignity, respect and hope.

Brush up your cooking skills for a bake sale during coffee hour. Set up an IOCC information table, and give out IOCC materials with each purchase ñ give your customers both knowledge and nourishment!

Plan a special event in your parish to celebrate IOCC Sunday, which takes place annually on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Resources are available to help you to make this a deeply moving and impactful experience.

Sports like football, basketball, and hockey are a great way to raise funds. Organize match-ups like parents vs. kids or girls vs. boys. Charge a small fee to players, or allow them to join with a donation amount of their choice.

Memorize IOCC's mandate verse, Matthew 25:35-36, 40. Divide the class into small groups and have them act out each scenario.

Pray for IOCC's work, our employees in the field, and those in great need around the world. Prayers are available at iocc.org/prayers.

Invite friends and family out for a film screening. Show one of IOCC's short videos as a preview, choose a fun movie to draw a crowd, and donate the proceeds to support our 25th anniversary!

This tried-and-true fundraiser is a natural choice for summer since groups of any age and size can run a car wash. Schedule one at your church or a local gas station. Combine the car wash with a Lemonade Stand for added impact!

This super fun event is easy and inexpensive to plan. A pancake breakfast or brunch is great for Saturdays or Sundays after church.

Organize a talent night at your church, and invite all members, young and old, to showcase their skills. You could even schedule it to coincide with the Sunday Gospel reading of the Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30)!

Invite 25 of your friends to like IOCC's Facebook page. Instagram pictures of what you and your church are doing for our 25th, and tag us (@ioccrelief). Twitter more your speed? Tweet what you appreciate about IOCC's global humanitarian work (@ioccrelief).

Instead of requesting birthday, anniversary, or holiday gifts, ask your friends and family to donate to IOCC in honor of your special occasion. Get started here.

Challenge your friends, family, and fellow parishioners to skip a coffee or a meal and donate what they would have spent to help those struggling with hunger. Learn about and share IOCC's ongoing agricultural and food-security programs in Greece, the West Bank and Gaza, and Kosovo.

Organize a community or church carnival. This can be as simple or grand as you want it to be! Set up games and activities, and ask friends and family to help. Charge a basic entry fee to support our work.

Host a special event in your local area to celebrate the good work IOCC has accomplished in the past 25 years. Organize a local Pan-Orthodox committee and invite all of the local churches to attend.

Many companies match the charitable donations their employees make. Be sure to check with your employer, and set up a match!

Get moving for a cause! Host a walk or run at your local park, school, or church. Set the distance at 2.5 miles to celebrate IOCC's 25 years, and have participants ask for sponsorships.

Consider hosting a small gathering in your home to share information about IOCC's work and 25 years of service.

Celebrate your upcoming marriage by asking guests to donate to IOCC in lieu of gifts. Create a personal fundraising page with your wedding story and a brief note about why helping others is important to you: support.iocc.org/diy

Great for all ages and for church groups. Form teams, get pledges for time, and dance, bowl, or rock the night away (in a rocking chair)!

Organize this family-friendly get together, and charge an entry fee. Or for more interactive fun, put a bowl in front of each person's chili pot so participants can "vote" for their favorite recipe by adding money to the bowl.

During the season of giving, work with your local choir to host a Christmas concert! Arrange for a small reception afterward featuring hors d'oeuvres, and set up a small table with IOCC brochures and promotional items.

Pick up a hammer and put your faith into action! IOCCís action teams help rebuild homes and clean up after manmade and natural disasters across the US. Learn more at www.iocc.org/actionteams.

Who doesn't love to sing? Rent a machine, and invite all the members of your church to croon their favorites, old and new! Charge admission, and share tidbits about IOCC between performers.

It pays to go casual! Host a jeans day at work or school, where participants pay a "fine" to wear jeans or casual clothes.

Place a large container in your Sunday School or parochial school classroom where everyone can see it. Pennies earn points, while larger coins and bills lose points! Add pennies to your jar and drop nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars in your opponents' jars. The group with the most points wins!

Let us know how you're celebrating IOCC's 25th Anniversary! Mail images and brief write-ups to outreach@iocc.org so we can feature them online. And thank you!