AHEPA E-News

Vol. 14 Issue 24 | Wednesday, June 17, 2020

AHEPA E-News

Our weekly #AHEPACares round-up...

Yankee District 7 AHEPA family steps-up to help seniors, hospital systems Ahepans from New London, Connecticut, donated and delivered pizza to the residents of the chapter's five affordable elderly housing communities. Oakdale Pizza Restaurant, owned by Brother Simos Fotiadis and his wife, Annie, donated more than 55 pizzas. Brother Jim Maistros delivered the pizzas to each of the communities. In addition, Rose of New England Chapter 110, Norwich, provided much needed support to increase community access to medical care on May 15. Chapter President George Grossomanides presented a $1,000 grant to W.W. Backus CEO Donna Handley and Philanthropy and Development Program Manager Gen Schies to fund the Backus Hospital's mobile outreach van which serves the community.  Individual AHEPA family members of District 7 are doing their share too. DOP District 7 Governor Marianne Boutsioulis (pictured right) sewed more than 400 masks for emergency room personnel at Yale New Haven Hospital at the request of her daughter, Emilia, who is an emergency room RN at the hospital. Also, DOP Lysandros Chapter 181 President Maria Valkanos sewed masks for her local hospital.

AHEPA, DOP distribute 14,000 euros in aid to Leros, surrounding islands AHEPA Aristotle of Attica Chapter HJ-43 Nea Smyrni, Greece, and Daughters of Penelope Chapter 443, working in cooperation with the Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, secured and distributed hygienic and medical supplies for the people of Leros and the surrounding islands valued at €14,000. Chapter HJ-43 President Pandelis Maravellias delivered large quantities of sanitizer and antiseptic gel to the Hospital of Leros, where he met with the hospital's director, Vassilios Stasinopoulos, and delivered supplies to His Eminence Paisios, Metropolitan of Leros, Kalymnos, and Astypalia. Brother Maravellias also visited the 588th TECH group of the Coast Guard where he had a meeting with Commander George Giannopoulos and delivered medical supplies on behalf of AHEPA.

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 110, Norwich, Conn. – Presented a $1,000 grant to o fund the Backus Hospital's Mobile Outreach Van which serves the community.  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 250, New London, Conn. – Ahepans donated and delivered meals to residents of five elderly housing communities 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 HJ-43, Nea Smyrni, Greece – Donated and delivered hygeinic supplies valued at €14,000 to Leros and surrounding islands 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

Supreme President Delivers Address at OCS Graduation Ceremony

Supreme President George G. Horiates served as a commencement speaker for the inaugural graduation ceremony of Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, Delaware, June 13, 2020. In a socially-distanced ceremony, 61 students received their diplomas. Each graduate received an AHEPA Medal for Scholastic Excellence and a certificate. AHEPA Chapter 95, Wilmington, is a sponsor of the school. The mission of OCS is to prepare students for a lifelong enthusiasm for learning, develop a keen awareness of world citizenship and culture, and establish critical thinking and problem-solving proficiency through the added learning of the Modern Greek language and Mathematics focus. View photos via Delaware Online

Ensure your ancestry is counted! 61.4% of all households have responded to the 2020 U.S. Census

90.8 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

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August 20 | Deadline: Fall 2020 The Ahepan magazine

Greek American News Digest

ΑΧΑΡΝΕΣ:"ΑΣ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΞΕΙ Η ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗ ΑΡΧΗ ΜΙΑ ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΕΜΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΛΛΑΓΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΝ ΕΜΠΛΕΚΕΤΑΙ ΣΕ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΟ ΣΚΑΝΔΑΛΟ"

Τετάρτη,  17 Ιουνίου 2020

ΑΣ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΞΕΙ  Η ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗ ΑΡΧΗ ΜΙΑ ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΕΜΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΛΛΑΓΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΝ ΕΜΠΛΕΚΕΤΑΙ ΣΕ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΟ ΣΚΑΝΔΑΛΟ

Κρατώντας ζωντανή την ελπίδα των ψηφοφόρων που με εμπιστεύτηκαν και οι οποίοι οραματίζονται μία πόλη με ανθρώπινο πρόσωπο, ασφαλή, με αναπτυξιακούς ρυθμούς, υγιή οικονομική κατάσταση αλλά και  ικανούς και έντιμους εκπροσώπους  που θα ενώνει τις γειτονιές, θα σέβεται τους πολίτες και θα τους προτρέπει να αγαπήσουν περισσότερο την πόλη τους, εξακολουθώ να αγωνίζομαι με όλες μου τις δυνάμεις προκειμένου να πείσω ένα κομμάτι πολιτών που παρασύρεται  αφού δεν έχει εικόνα της οικονομικής κατάστασης, και των απρόβλεπτων συνεπειών που μπορεί να επιφέρει η κακή διαχείριση στο Δήμο μας.

Όλα αυτά τα καίρια ζητήματα  τα οποία και έχω καταθέσει μέχρι σήμερα τόσο στο Δημοτικό Συμβούλιο αλλά και με δημόσιες τοποθετήσεις μου απέναντι στους πολίτες των Αχαρνών, η δημοτική αρχή καλείται πλέον είτε να τα αντικρούσει ως αναληθή  είτε να σωπάσει σκοπίμως αποκρύπτοντάς τα για να συνεχίσει ανενόχλητη την λεηλασία των ταμείων του δήμου Αχαρνών.

Η πλειοψηφία των ψηφοφόρων που εμπιστεύτηκε στη δημοτική αρχή την τύχη της πόλης μας,  θα πρέπει να αξιώσει από αυτήν να αποδείξει αν εδώ και δύο δεκαετίες:

·          η πόλη των Αχαρνών έχει 100 εκ. ευρώ δανειακές υποχρεώσεις με υπέρογκους τόκους και πάνω από 50 εκ. ευρώ χρέη προς τρίτους και αν τα χρήματα αυτά πήγαν σε έργα  ή μπήκαν στις τσέπες τους.

·          Δόθηκαν σε απαλλοτριώσεις  500 εκ. ευρώ όπως δήλωσε ο ίδιος ο αντιδήμαρχος Οικονομικών σύμφωνα με τα λεγόμενα του οποίου πολλές περιπτώσεις διπλοπληρώθηκαν και άλλες αποζημιώθηκαν χωρίς τελεσίδικες δικαστικές αποφάσεις,  τις πληρωμές των οποίων φορτώθηκαν οι πολίτες και εν τέλει αν τα χρήματα αυτά πήγαν στον προορισμό τους ή στις τσέπες τους.

·         οι Δημοτικές Επιχειρήσεις που με συγκριτικά πλεονεκτήματα θα έπρεπε να είναι υγιής οικονομικά όπως συμβαίνει σε άλλους δήμους, στο δικό μας  καταχρέωσαν και καταλήστεψαν τα ταμεία  αλλάζοντας  ΑΦΜ και επωνυμία κάθε τόσο απλά και μόνο για να υπάρχουν και να πηγαίνουν τα χρήματα στις τσέπες τους.

·         Τα Κοιμητήρια από τα έσοδα των οποίων ο δήμος θα έπρεπε να έχει μεγάλα πλεονάσματα,  βρίσκονται καταχρεωμένα  με εκατομμύρια ευρώ και αν τα έσοδα πήγαν στο ταμείο του δήμου ή στις τσέπες τους.

·         Τα εκατομμύρια ευρώ που δόθηκαν στο δήμο για μελέτες,  αντιπλημμυρικά έργα, ασφαλτοστρώσεις , αποχετευτικό  και πυρασφάλεια αξιοποιήθηκαν ή μπήκαν στις τσέπες τους.

·         τα υπέρογκα ποσά εκατομμυρίων ευρώ που δίνονται για επισκευές, αγορές οχημάτων και οτιδήποτε αφορά στον τομέα της Καθαριότητας  έφτασαν στον προορισμό τους ή μπήκαν στις τσέπες τους.

·         Σε ευαίσθητες δομές του δήμου όπως η «Αρωγή», οι παιδικοί σταθμοί,  οι  σχολικές επιτροπές και οι κοινωνικές δομές για τις οποίες δόθηκαν εκατομμύρια ευρώ πήγαν στον προορισμό ή στις τσέπες τους.

·         Τα εκατομμύρια ευρώ που δόθηκαν για μελέτες που αφορούν πλατείες, παιδικές χαρές και αθλητικές εγκαταστάσεις που βρίσκονται στο έλεός τους αξιοποιήθηκαν με κάποιο τρόπο ή μπήκαν στις τσέπες τους.

Εν τέλει ας απαντήσει η δημοτική αρχή αν υπάρχει μία υπηρεσία στο Δήμο μας η οποία να εμπεριέχει οικονομικές συναλλαγές και στην οποία δεν έχει προκύψει κάποια ατασθαλία ή οικονομικό σκάνδαλο.

Η πλειοψηφία των πολιτών να μην παρασύρεται λοιπόν από την προσπάθειά της δημοτικής αρχής που εμπιστεύτηκε, να την πείσει ότι όλα τα παραπάνω είναι ανούσια, ανάξια λόγου και πρέπει να αποκρύπτονται από τους πολίτες των Αχαρνών αλλά να αξιώσει να τοποθετηθεί η δημοτική αρχή αν όντως όλα τα παραπάνω ισχύουν και οδεύουμε στο χάος και στην καταστροφή ή αν έχει αποδείξεις  ότι όλα τα παραπάνω είναι αναληθή και όλα οδεύουν καλώς και τιμούν και υπηρετούν την εμπιστοσύνη των πολιτών που τους εμπιστεύτηκε.

Παναγιώτης Γρηγοριάδης
Επικεφαλής Δημοτικής Παράταξης
«Νέα Δύναμη» Αχαρνών

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