IOCC Volunteer Update | July 2018

IOCC Volunteer Update | July 2018

July 31, 2018

Slow Summer? Gear Up for Fall!

If you’ve been finding yourself with a bit of free time, use it to plan an IOCC event! With fall being our most popular season for events, there are lots of opportunities to support IOCC on your own, in a team, or with your parish. Check out these ideas:

  • If your city is hosting a walk or race in the fall, consider creating a team for IOCC. We’ll give you your own team or personal page on IOCC’s site—a fun, easy way to fundraise. Start here, or email outreach@iocc.org or call 410.243.9820 for help setting up. Check out a sample page here.
  • As the weather cools off and we move indoors, consider hosting a movie night for IOCC! Ask viewers for an admission fee, watch an IOCC video as the “preview,” and enjoy a family-friendly movie and popcorn. To request materials to display at your movie night, contact an Outreach Coordinator.
  • IOCC Sunday will be November 18 this year, and something as simple as an IOCC-themed coffee hour can spread the word about our work around the world. Don’t forget to add this date to your parish calendar!
  • Don’t forget—you can read about more ideas to try throughout the year in ourVolunteer Calendar.

2017 Year in Review

We had a blessed 25th year, and we’re excited to share what your hard work accomplished! Thank you for your generous support, which makes IOCC’s projects possible. Read the 2017 Year in Review here.

Last Chance to Join a Home Build!

Want to help your neighbors in need right here in the US? There’s one more opportunity to volunteer for an IOCC home build this summer: August 13–18 in Houston, TX, and we want you to join us! To register or learn more, visit iocc.org/homebuild.

While IOCC home build volunteers support longer-term recovery, IOCC’s Emergency Action Teams help individuals and families achieve stability immediately after a disaster. Over three weeks in June 2018, some 50 IOCC volunteers worked at sites in Greater Baltimore affected by recent devastating floods. Clearing more than 15 homes of muck and debris, IOCC’s Emergency Action Teams put in 540 volunteer hours helping neighbors in need—in and around IOCC’s hometown.

Interested in joining an Orthodox Action Team? Sign up here.

Did You Know …?

Through our Greece Greatest Needs Fund, IOCC is supporting immediate basic needs for fire survivors, like access to food. With our partner Apostoli, IOCC will distribute prepaid grocery cards to families affected by the fires, allowing them to purchase essential items like Greek-grown produce, dairy, and meat, as well as personal hygiene items, including soap and shampoo. In the last week, staff from Apostoli has been on the ground in Rafina, Greece, and nearby, working with the municipalities. They’re visiting shelters and actively working to identify the people most in need. To make a gift to support this work, click here.

Greetings from IOCC Staff Near and Far

IOCC staff convened in Baltimore, MD, for a training retreat last month. Check out this photo of some staff from HQ and international field offices during their week in Baltimore!

IOCC Awareness Events

Organizing an IOCC event in your parish or community? IOCC Outreach is here to help you plan and publicize! To get your local IOCC event on the calendar, contact us atoutreach@iocc.org.

Baltimore, MD

On Sunday, June 24, about 200 people gathered at St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church to enjoy a falafel lunch and learn about IOCC’s Syrian crisis response. Volunteers cooked falafel from scratch and helped serve guests, who included both parishioners and several IOCC staff visiting from around the world. IOCC Executive Director and CEO Constantine Triantafilou thanked the local community and briefly spoke about IOCC’s work. Afterwards, Dimitrije Djukic, Manager of Middle East Programs, rounded out remarks about IOCC projects in both Syria and neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees. The luncheon brought together Orthodox faithful in IOCC’s hometown. Thank you to Fr. Damaskinos Issa, Saydeh Karabatis, and all the other volunteers for a wonderful time!

Pittsburgh, PA

A group of about 50 Steel City IOCC supporters spent the evening of July 26 at a craft beer tasting, the latest of many fun events in the Pittsburgh area. Guests enjoyed brewery tours with the head brewer at a local venue, plus good fellowship with one another. Between tastings and snacks, attendees learned more about the worldwide humanitarian and development work they support so faithfully. Thanks to Nick Terezis and Kevin Reck for making this evening possible!

Volunteers in Action

Let us know about your kit drives and IOCC presentations – email images and brief write-ups to outreach@iocc.org so we can feature them here. And thank you!

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. Thank you for bringing IOCC to your community!

Check for updates at iocc.org/events.

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, visitiocc.org/careers.

HQ Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Officer.