DONNA HADDAD CONOPEOTIS
IOCC Board Alum, Past Metropolitan Committee Event Chair
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
Cicero, IL
St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church
Niles, IL
When I think about Christian service, IOCC comes to mind immediately.
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of volunteering in several roles, each special to me in its own way. As a longtime board member, it was my privilege to visit programs overseas, including in Ethiopia, Greece, and Uganda. As part of the Chicago Metropolitan Committee, I’ve organized annual banquets, 5K walk-runs, and other events with our committed team to share IOCC’s work here in Chicagoland.
I also serve as advisor to our parish youth, and it’s such a joy to connect them with Christian service through IOCC. Most recently, after the terrible 2023 earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, our group made 500 hygiene kits for IOCC’s kit program: it gave the teens the opportunity to have a direct impact on people in need. Seeing them come together in the spirit of Christ’s love inspired me.
This Sunday of the Holy Cross, could we each consider what service looks like for us in daily life—in what small (or large) ways we might take up our personal cross through service? For me, the cross of Christ is a powerful reminder of God’s incomprehensible love. How can we give back to Him a portion of His generous gifts to us?
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