AHEPA E-News

Vol. 14 Issue 23 | Wednesday, June 10, 2020

AHEPA E-News

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 As America reopens, please stay safe and informed. Practice social distancing. We will get through this pandemic together.

Atlanta Ahepans secure lunches for front line heroes.

Recap: Supreme President's Messages White House Guidance: Opening Up America PPP Legislative Fix: Signed into law - what you need to know CDC Guidance: Updated - How COVID-19 Spreads | COVID-19 Travel Restrictions by Country | Running Essential Errands | Cloth Face Covers | Cleaning, Disinfecting for Households Administration for Community Living: Guidance for older adults, persons with disabilities, and caregivers

Our weekly #AHEPACares round-up...

Ahepans deliver meals to Emory Decatur Hospital.

Atlanta Ahepans donate lunches for first responders Ahepans from Mother Lodge 1, Atlanta, Ga., were proud to sponsor lunch for the city's outstanding first responders at Emory Decatur Hospital, May 14, 2020. Brothers Sandy Papadopoulos, PSG; Rob Burns, and Ted Kipreos secured the meals from Athens Pizza. Nurse Sinclair said that it has been difficult times and the staff truly appreciated AHEPA for thinking of them.

Long Island Ahepans donated 400 pounds of goods to feed the county's most vulnerable families impacted by the pandemic During a month-long campaign, Ahepans from Shrine Chapter 500, Greenlawn, N.Y. raised $4,000 and collected more than 400 pounds of canned goods and non-perishables that were distributed to families and food pantries across Huntington Township in Suffolk County. Chapter 500 President Edwin Rivera, several Ahepans, Father Lou Nicholas, and members of the community participated at the food drive that donated to Helping Hand Rescue Mission, Huntington Station, N.Y. read more in The National Herald‌

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 Donate to the AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund Visit our COVID-19 Resource Center

THANK YOU! Chapter 1 Atlanta, Ga. - Donated lunches to the first responders of Emory Decatur Hospital 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. – 280-plus meals an 80 face masks delivered to three major hospitals in Central N.J. 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. Delivered thousands of face masks to the city and county of Denver Chapter 156 Canonsburg, Pa. – Donated $2,000 to feed 400 area families 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. Secured 1,000 masks and 3,000 pairs of gloves for the community Chapter 326, Flushing, N.Y. – Presented scholarship grants to 3 students while adhering to social distancing and guidance Chapter 408 Wilmington, N.C. – The board of AHEPA 408 Senior Apartments donated "Care Bags" with essential items to the residents. Face masks and thermometers donated to St. Nicholas. 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 that amassed 400 lbs of goods 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 Chapter CY-4, Idalion, Cyprus – Donated financial aid to assist five families in need Nikolaus Dumba Chapter & DOP Princess Sissi Chapter Vienna, Austria - Delivered meals to the needy District 10, Michigan - Donated $23,300 to 11 Michigan-area Greek Orthodox churches

AHEPA Works to Restore Defaced WWI Memorial

AHEPA is working with the office of Birmingham, Ala., Mayor Randall Woodfin to restore a World War I Memorial statue AHEPA erected in 1923 that protesters defaced, announced Supreme President George G. Horiates. Last week, Supreme President Horiates sent a letter to Mayor Woodfin inquiring about the status of the memorial and offering AHEPA's assistance to restore it. WVTM-13 report | AHEPA press release

AHEPA Bolsters Hellenic Police with Gear

In March, Ahepans visited Greek police and border guards at the Evros border to convey appreciation for their work to protect Greece's and EU's borders.

AHEPA will provide the Hellenic Police with protective equipment valued at $27,250 (25,000€), announced Supreme President George G. Horiates. “Our donation of protective gear is timely, especially given the Greek police is increasing its presence at the Evros border in anticipation of another surge in migrant flow,” Horiates said. “Their presence there is appreciated and needed as Turkey continues to threaten with its systematic and forced migration policy.” read news release | Ekathimerini coverage | The Pappas Post coverage

American Hellenic, American Jewish Groups Welcome Announced Greek, Cypriot Leaders' Visit to Israel

The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), B’nai B’rith International, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following statement:   Our organizations welcome reports that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades will visit Israel on separate occasions this month. Their visits will be the first by foreign leaders to Israel following the easing of COVID-19-related travel restrictions. We believe this demonstrates the priority each country places on their respective bilateral relations.   read the entire joint statement

Ensure your ancestry is counted! 60.5% of all households have responded to the 2020 U.S. Census

89.5 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

The Senate Must Act!