AHEPA E-News

Vol. 14 Issue 19 | Wednesday, May 13, 2020

AHEPA E-News

Commemorating AHEPA Sunday

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has proclaimed May 17 as "AHEPA Sunday" in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. AHEPA Sunday is an annual recognition of a long and cherished relationship between AHEPA and the Greek Orthodox Church in America. “We are honored by, and appreciate deeply, the kind words of Archbishop Elpidophoros, who eloquently commemorated our mission and recognized the community service work our members provide across the United States and around the world, especially in helping to meet the current coronavirus pandemic,” Supreme President George G. Horiates said. read the encyclical | read AHEPA statement

Learn more about AHEPA and AHEPA Sunday with this special video commemoration from Ahepans throughout the domain. Join AHEPA Today!

AHEPA Cares | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

For nearly 100 years, AHEPA has provided steadfast service to the community through thick and thin. During this national emergency caused by the coronavirus global pandemic, please adhere to CDC guidance to help control the spread of the virus. Also, if you are able, please identify those who are most vulnerable in the community and check in to see if they are in need of assistance. #AHEPACares Stay home. Stay informed. Practice social distancing. We will get through this pandemic together.

Ahepans from Chapter 158, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. sponsored a free lunch for first responders.

New: 2020 Supreme Convention Canceled due to COVID-19 Keep Updated: AHEPA COVID-19 Resource Center Recap: Supreme President's Messages Federal Tax Guidance: IRS COVID-19 web page | For U.S. taxpayers abroad Small Business Relief: SBA's Payroll Protection Program resumes White House Guidance: Opening Up America CDC Guidance: New Symptoms List | Prevent Getting Sick | Cloth Face Covers CDC: Learn about COVID-19

Visit our COVID-19 Resource Center

Our weekly #AHEPACares round-up...

GreekNews features AHEPA Cares Initiative update GreekNews provided an update on the AHEPA Cares initiative to its readership in an online article published May 6, 2020. The article also appeared in its May 11 print edition. Thank you, GreekNews! read the post | print edition

Chapter 64, Harrisburg, Pa. feeds families in need Chapter 64, Harrisburg, Pa. donated $1,750 to feed families in need through four central PA food banks. The funding was made possible through the “Food for the Needy” fund in memory of brother John Sempeles. read more in The National Herald

Poughkeepsie Chapter 158 sponsors free lunch for first responders Poughkeepsie Chapter 158 partnered with Smith Street Hot Dogs to offer all first responders in the City of Poughkeepsie a free lunch every day during the week of May 4-8. City police, firefighters, EMS, and the Dutchess County Sheriff's Department were on hand during the opening day along with City Mayor Rob Rolison and AHEPA President Stephen J. Miller. read more in The National Herald

Corfu Ahepans deliver aid, donate blood Ahepans from Corcyra Chapter HJ-34, Corfu, Greece have stood side-by-side to support the community since the inception of lockdown measures in Greece. The brothers have donated face masks and health supplies to Corfu General Hospital. They have also facilitated the delivery of these important materials to vulnerable populations and have donated blood.

Middletown, N.Y. Ahepans support families, front line heroes Hudson Odysseus Chapter 545, Middletown, N.Y., raised $2,000 to provide assistance to two community members recovering from illness, The chapter also donated 500 "Gyros for Heroes" platters to front line responders and are undergoing a goods collection drive for families in need. read more in Hellenic News of America

AHEPA Cares and it shows: A note of gratitude for your philanthropy

AHEPA prides itself on the strength of its chapters and members. With more than 400 chapters worldwide, AHEPA provides community service at the grassroots. In fact, AHEPA has been described as providing “boots on the ground” - a reference to our members and their valuable work in the communities. Working hand-in-hand with local and state community service groups, AHEPA excels at providing relief when times get tough. During this unprecedented time, the COVID-19 pandemic has AHEPA mobilized once again. Our support for the health care heroes on the front lines who are making sacrifices to attend to those infected by coronavirus is resolute. Supreme President George G. Horiates has been spearheading efforts to encourage our chapters to donate or volunteer time and energy to provide assistance. With the spirit of community service at the core of their mission, we are proud our chapters have responded superbly with safety as a priority. Ahepans are going to supermarkets (with appreciation to our grocery workers too) to buy food for those in need. They are visiting area hospitals and delivering food to the doctors and nurses who are in harm's way and to the elderly and the homeless. Ahepans are also donating blood. The AHEPA family is working together to provide assistance around the world. #AHEPACares and it shows. We salute our members for their outreach. We can take pride we are fulfilling our founding fathers' vision of a community service fraternity. Supreme President Horiates thanks the AHEPA chapters that are practicing philanthropy and for sending us inspirational photos and stories. We applaud look forward to seeing more of our Order's great works! We encourage districts and chapters to engage in philanthropic and community service acts and please submit your good works to AHEPA Global Headquarters. Please remember to do so responsibly, according to government guidance, and above all else--safely! The list (at right) is what we know at the time of distributing this edition of AHEPA e-news. AHEPA’s list of chapters that are playing a significant part in the communities they serve worldwide is unmatched…and will go on… Download & Distribute AHEPA Cares Flyer

THANK YOU! Chapter 3 Birmingham, Ala. – 100 meals donated to Children’s Hospital of Alabama Chapter 25 Manhattan, N.Y. – Meals donated and funds raised for ventilators Chapter 26 Philadelphia – Brother Dr. Theoklis Zaoutis is actively advising Greece's Ministry of Health on COVID-19 Chapter 40 Detroit/District 10, Michigan – $15,000 donated to Detroit-area churches Chapter 64 Harrisburg, Pa. – Brother Dr. Chronis providing medical analysis for COVID-19 and the chapter donated $1,750 to four central PA food banks to feed families in need Chapter 69 Cherry Hill, N.J. – 200 meals donated to Virtua Hospital and other area hospitals Chapter 72 Trenton, N.J. – 250-plus meals an 80 face masks delivered to three major hospitals in Central New Jersey Chapter 78, Merrillville, Ind. – Donated $17,000 to charities that assist and provide relief to victims of COViD-19, including Meals on Wheels Chapter 145 Denver – Donated and served meals to hundreds of first responders and homeless Chapter 157 Calumet, Ind. – Meals, masks, gloves and hand sanitizer donated to the community's front line heroes Chapter 158, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Provided lunch to first responders upon city's reopening Chapter 186 Astoria, N.Y. - Served 150 meals and delivered another 35 meals to the community at-large Chapter 219 Phoenix – Donated N95 face masks to essential workers Chapter 319 Port Jefferson, N.Y. – Donated face masks to emergency responders Chapter 408 Wilmington, N.C. – The board of AHEPA 408 Senior Apartments donated "Care Bags" with essential items to the residents Chapter 445 & Sons of Pericles 290 Upper Darby, Pa. – Delivered food to the ER department at Jeanes Campus – Temple University Hospital Chapter 489 New Port Richey, Fla. – Donated meals to elderly residents at AHEPA 489 Apartments Chapter 500 Greenlawn, N.Y. – Held a food drive to benefit the area shelters Chapter 515 Radnor, Pa. – Donated and delivered hundreds of meals for the health care and emergency response professionals and administrative staff at Inova Alexandria Hospital Chapter 545, Middletown, N.Y. – Raised $2,000 to provide financial aid to families recovering from illness, donated 500 "Gyros for Heroes," and is undertaking a goods collection drive Chapter CJ-1 Toronto – Implemented the Greek Easter Relief Food program, providing low-income families with a voucher to ensure everyone had access to an Easter meal Chapter 601 Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey – Donated food to Orthodox churches for Easter Chapter HJ-1 Athens, Greece – Ahepans provide support to Evangelismos Hospital Chapter HJ-3 Thessaloniki, Greece – AHEPA Hospital is treating COVID-19 patients Chapter HJ-26 Peter Baltis Chapter Larissa, Greece – Coordinated blood donor drive with several Ahepans donating Chapter HJ-34 Corfu, Greece – Coordinated blood donor drive, donated face masks and health supplies to Corfu General Hospital and vulnerable populations Chapter HJ-38 Palio Faliro, Greece – Donated and delivered meals and necessities to a local food bank for the municipality's elderly and vulnerable Chapter HJ-41 Kalamaria, Greece – Delivered care packages of food and water to the elderly Chapter CY-1 Nicosia, Cyprus – Contributed to District 27's countrywide blood drive with hundreds of units of blood collected Nikolaus Dumba Chapter & DOP Princess Sissi Chapter Vienna, Austria - Delivered meals to the needy

AHEPA Management Company professionals at AHEPA Senior Apartments, Houston, delivered hot lunches each day to residents since April.

May is Older Americans Month! Did You Know? AHEPA, through the AHEPA National Housing Corp., is a leading provider of affordable housing for the elderly in the United States through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 202 Program for the Elderly. AHEPA's Housing Program has developed 91 affordable elderly housing communities, totaling nearly 5,000 residential units, spanning 20 states. HUD's 2017 Worst Case Housing Needs report to Congress found that the number of older adult households with worst case needs increased by 382,000 households in 2013–2015, or 66% of the total number of new cases, reaching 1.9 million. learn more about how you can mark OAM 2020

Ensure your ancestry is counted! 58.1% of all households have responded to the 2020 U.S. Census

85.9 million Census responses have been received -- that's more than half of all the households in the country! AHEPA encourages your participation in the 2020 U.S. Census to ensure the Greek American community is accounted, announced Supreme President George G. Horiates.   It is part of our civic duty to participate in the U.S. Census. It is important to do so for a couple of reasons.   First, community-based organizations such as AHEPA, rely on accurate census data to ensure that its constituency is represented properly. On a larger scale, census results will help communities receive federal funding for hospitals, schools, and emergency services. (Pictured: Thanks to our friends at the New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission for providing this flyer. Share it widely!) Question 9 about Race: When asked on the Census form to indicate your race, you can mark or check "White," and under the designation, write-in "Greek" or "Cypriot" to indicate your ethnicity/ancestry.    Census documents have arrived in the mail. People will be able to respond to the census online, by phone, or by mail. You can choose the option that works best for you.   Personal information provided on the census is kept confidential by law. Share: Hellenic Pride Census flyer | Greek glossary | Fact Sheet on Race Question | Beware of Census fraud/scams Complete the U.S. Census Online