The Power of Lenten Almsgiving

“Almsgiving soars over everything.”
— St. John Chrysostom

As St. John Chrysostom proclaims, we are called to practice almsgiving—opening our hearts to offer Christ’s love in the service of others. And as we journey through Great Lent, we are reminded how profoundly our almsgiving can transform lives, like that of a very young Syrian boy and his family.

Hadi was just four months old when his family fled the conflict in Syria. When he arrived at a refugee camp in Lebanon, an IOCC team identified him as at risk for poor growth and development. IOCC worked with Hadi’s family, teaching feeding, correct infant care, and providing nutritional counseling to promote his wellbeing. When he turned six-months-old, Hadi started receiving vital nutritional supplements and began to show visible signs of improvement.

“I felt helpless seeing my child’s poor health… [Now] … I can see with my eyes the difference. My child is getting better every day,” said Hadi’s mother.

Your donation to IOCC is more than a humble act of almsgiving during Lent—as it did for Hadi and his family.