Volunteers Needed for Home Builds!
Now that we are out of hurricane season, IOCC needs volunteers to repair and rebuild homes in places hit by these storms. You don’t need to be skilled—just energetic. Please visit iocc.org/homebuild to read more and apply.
- March 18–23 in Houston, TX (18+ only)
- April 15–20 in Houston, TX (18+ only)
- May 20–25 in Daytona Beach, FL
- June 3–8 in Houston, TX
- July 8–13 in Houston, TX
- July 15–20 in Houston, TX (18+ only)
- August 12–17 in Houston, TX
Armenia: Women Embark on Sustainable Careers
IOCC recently delivered 3,000 sets of sewing supplies to the Social-Educational Center run by the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Shirak Diocese, supporting vocational training that equips women to enter new professions. The Shirak Diocese’s program serves between 250 and 300 participants yearly, providing women who are unemployed with training and experience in various sectors, including culinary arts, woodworking, and cosmetology, as well as business correspondence and accounting, among others. The recent shipment, a collaboration of IOCC and Lutheran World Relief, specifically supported the garment design and construction course, which equips participants to earn a living in clothing production and tailoring. Read more here.
Souper Bowl of Caring
THANK YOU to all the parishes and volunteers who took action on February 3! The Souper Bowl of Caring is a chance to help those in need in your local community, as well as to support IOCC in sharing Christ’s love around the world. Many of you took collections, shared IOCC with your friends and neighbors, or donated to your local food pantry. Thank you so much!
Lake Forest, IL
The high-school class at St. Basil of Ostrog Serbian Orthodox Church once again held their cupcake fundraiser, a tradition now for at least five years! In order to participate, the students must make homemade cupcakes—no boxed mixes or canned frostings—resulting in some very creative recipes. Parishioners supported their efforts by buying cupcakes to take to their Super Bowl parties, and together they raised over $600 for those in need. Thanks to the St. Basil high-school class for using their talents to serve others!
Norfolk, VA
Parishioners at Dormition of the Theotokos Orthodox Church participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring to “score a victory against hunger”! Together they raised more than $400 for IOCC’s work around the world and collected over 200 nonperishable food items for the Virginia Food Bank. Thank you for rallying together to make a difference for people in need!
Upcoming Events
Interested in planning your own event to raise awareness about IOCC? Get one on the calendar today! We’d love to send a speaker to your parish or event, so please contact us at 410.243.9820 or outreach@iocc.org.
Check for updates at iocc.org/events. And thank you for partnering with us!
- March 17: Raleigh, NC—Sunday of Orthodoxy Pan-Orthodox Vespers
- May 4: Denver, CO—Annual Pan-Orthodox IOCC Dinner
- May 4-5: Pittsburgh, PA—Team IOCC at the Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend
- May 16: Chicago, IL—Annual IOCC Grand Banquet & Silent Auction
- May 19: Orange County, CA—Share the Love 2019
- May 19: Cleveland, OH—Annual IOCC Banquet
IOCC Awareness Events
THANK YOU to the IOCC volunteers across the country who support our mission every day!
Milwaukee, WI
On February 2, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Committee hosted its sixth annual IOCC Tailgate and Game Night at Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. The evening began with Vespers, followed by a delicious meal of Usinger’s Bratwurst, tailgate sides, and delicious homemade desserts. IOCC Gift Officer Nick Kasemeotes and IOCC Outreach Manager Christina Meares offered remarks and showed a short video about IOCC’s work since 1992. Musician Larry Hinds provided music and entertainment throughout the evening, while participants enjoyed fellowship, board games, and bidding on two silent auction items: a hand-crafted Jerusalem cross and a Milwaukee Bucks ticket package. Thank you to co-chairs Katherine Newhouse and Ana Treptow and the entire group of pan-Orthodox volunteers for making this family-friendly event possible!
Bergenfield, NJ
On February 9, over 150 people from more than four Orthodox parishes gathered for A Taste of North Jersey to Benefit IOCC, marking 10 years since this event first began. Guests enjoyed a buffet of delicious bites and tasted a variety of wines and beer served by local vendors while catching up with one another. Local band Jodie and the Normals performed covers of popular songs and lent a festive air to the evening. IOCC Development Officer Lou Zagami thanked the crowd for their support over the years and offered an update on IOCC recent projects. The drinks were once again graciously provided by Stew Leonard, owner of the local grocery store chain by the same name, so the IOCC Bergenfield committee honored Stew and his wife, Kim, by presenting gifts to two store managers who attended. It was an evening in truly good taste! Thank you to Stratos Mandalakis, Anastasia Economos, the rest of the committee volunteers, and the seminarians from St. Vladimir’s Seminary for volunteering their time and effort to make this a special event!
Pittsburgh, PA
Orthodox faithful of all ages gathered on February 9 for the IOCC Pittsburgh Metropolitan Committee’s annual International Soup Sampling & Health Kit Assembly. Volunteers prepared more than eight delicious soups for guests to sample, ranging from American beef chili to Greek avgolemono to Egyptian molokhia. Youth from all around assembled health kits, responding to the call to help those in need through a simple act of service. Thanks to Nick Terezis, the Pittsburgh committee, and all volunteers young and old for a great day of service to kick off the year!
Chicago, IL
On February 16, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) Hellenic Student Association hosted their 2019 Youth Ball, an annual dinner-dance fundraiser that this year supported IOCC’s work in Greece with Apostoli, the humanitarian arm of the Archdiocese of Athens. More than 195 students came out to enjoy dinner and Greek dancing, and to hear an update on IOCC’s work in Greece. Thanks to UIC’s Hellenic Student Association and all the volunteers of the planning committee for organizing a wonderful evening! (Image: Yiannis Photography)
IOCC is Hiring
Bring your expertise to an organization making a difference around the world and join our team in the following position. Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Please pass this info along to them! For full job descriptions and application instructions, visit iocc.org/careers.
