PHILOPTOCHOS "FRIENDS OF THE POOR" - A Ministry of Philanthropy, Fellowship, and Faith

PHILOPTOCHOS "FRIENDS OF THE POOR" 

Philoptochos is one of the largest women’s organizations in the United States: preserves the sacredness of the Orthodox family through family concern, services, unity of action; promotes the charitable, benevolent, philanthropic and eleemosynary purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; formulates plans and methods to voluntarily aid the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disaster; and promotes participation in the activities of the Parish with the cooperation of the Priest and the Parish Council.  

Charities and ministries St. Anna Philoptochos provides support to annually:

OCMC, IOCC, St. Basils Academy, Kids 'n' Cancer, Bishop Anthony Student Aid Endowment Fund, St. Nicholas Ranch & Retreat Center, Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento, Crisis Nursery Sacramento, Decani Monastery Relief Fund, Global Birthing Home/ Maison de Naissance, Monastery of the Theotokos, The Life Giving Spring, 3Strands Global Foundation, Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage, Feed the Hungry, St. Vincent de Paul, Military Support, Local Seminarian Support, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Sunshine Ministry, College Student Care Packages, in Memory of Victoria Marie Kopp., Newborn Ministry, Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home.

Ways to support Philoptochos throughout the year:

  1. Prepare meals for individuals in need (Sunshine Ministry)

  2. Knit or Crochet a Prayer Shawl. (Prayer Shawl Ministry)

  3. Sign up to offer hospitality for Coffee Hour

  4. Donations are accepted all year for the general fund, and for specific ministries

  5. Host a membership tea/gathering.

  6. Help with preparations for a luncheon, Feed the Hungry and care packages

  7. Support fundraising efforts, donate baked goods, and participate with events

  8. Attend meetings, share ideas, and keep us in prayer.

    October 22 - May 23 Calendar

October 2022

·       College Care Packages, in loving memory of Victoria Marie Kopp: volunteers will gather items and prepare packages to be delivered to college kids who are working on their undergraduate studies and who have graduated out of St. Anna Sunday School program.

·       Blessing of Prayer Shawls in proximity to the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos 

November 2022

·       Blessing of St. Anna Philoptochos Ministries, Sunday November 6th, Artoclasia, blessing of loaves, coffee hour/fellowship, start of 2022/23 Annual membership drive

·       Feed the Hungry-Thanksgiving: delivery to schools on November 14th. volunteers will prepare packages with holiday ribbon to gift to the designated children of Title I schools and to those identified with need, during the week of November 7th.

·       Coat Drive- November 6 through December 4: Accepting donations of gently used, clean, and new coats for all ages. Please drop off donations at coat rack in the Narthex.

·       See’s Candy Fundraiser: to support St. Anna Ministries Fundraiser will be ongoing during the month of November and December 

December 2022

·       Feed the Hungry-Christmas: delivery to schools December 12th volunteers will prepare the packages during week of December 5th.

·       Light The Path: Annual Luncheon of the Metropolis to support Bishop Anthony Philoptochos Student Aid Endowment Fund. Date to be announced.

·       Volunteer at the Tommy Apostolos Fund shopping spree at Kohls to cloth children in need (Dec 5)

·       Philoptochos Christmas Holiday Bake Sale- Sunday December 18th: volunteers may prepare pastries and may purchase items in support of the fundraising effort.

·       Military Support/Adopt families: Support families identified with need. 

January 2023

·       Vasilopita cutting event, with luncheon: Donations will support St. Basil Academy, St. Nicholas Ranch and St. Anna Philoptochos Ministries.

February 2023

·       Kids n’ Cancer Annual Bake Sale and fundraising event: volunteers provide goods to sell at the fundraising event. Proceeds benefit the Kids n’Cancer program of the Metropolis that supports children with cancer and other life-threatening illness and offers children and their family a camp experience through Camp AGAPE. 

March 2023

·       St. Anna Philoptochos Annual Lenten Retreat

·       Feed the Hungry-Easter: volunteers will prepare the packages with holiday ribbon to gift to the designated children of Title I schools and to those identified with need

April 2023

·       Annual Tommy Apostolos Fund Dinner: volunteers prepare pastries and may help serve

·       Palm Sunday Luncheon: volunteers help prepare and serve luncheon. Proceeds benefit St. Anna Philoptochos Ministries

·       Holy Week Preparations: Dye Eggs on Holy Thursday, Adorn the Epitaphio/Tomb of Christ on Holy Friday

May 2023

·       Chapter Elections and Potluck at May meeting


Philoptochos Contact: Kathy Craighead, President (650)455-3151

Our Saint Anna / See's Candies Yumraiser for Winter 2022 is LIVE!

We are excited to announce that our Saint Anna / See's Candies online storefront is now set-up for our Winter 2022 Yumraiser through December 2, 2022:

https://www.yumraising.com/secure/_saint_anna_greek_orthodox_church__winter_10/Ren_Ive4788/candy


Many people within and outside of our community have asked about how they can support our Saint Anna Ministries; one opportunity is through our seasonal See's Candies sale.

***All items for sale are the same price in-store. Saint Anna Philoptochos will simply receive 20%-50% of each item purchased to benefit its ministries found at https://www.saintanna.org/philoptochos***


Online orders will ship directly to you or another recipient. Please note: You will be charged a minimal shipping fee UNLESS your order exceeds $70 pre-tax. See's Candies will ship anywhere in the U.S.

Scrip and Book Fundraiser

FIRST, do you like using gift cards for Christmas gifts? We will place a large order on November 30. All you need to do is pick up an order form (by the candle stand) and return it to Mike or Jenn Conklin (or mail to the church office) with a check or cash by Sunday, November 30. Gift cards will be available for pickup on Sunday, December 12. Companies donate 1-20% of the purchase price to St Anna’s, and we have almost anything available, from groceries to dining out to hobbies and more. You can even use the gift cards to buy Christmas gifts!

SECOND, do you have children, grandchildren, or godchildren? We invite you to visit www.Tinyurl.com/JennsReadingCorner for information on how to order high-quality children’s books from Usborne Books & More. 20% of the purchase price goes to the St Anna Building Fund. Please order by November 30. Books will be available for pickup by early December. Jenn Conklin can take checks, cash, or card information over the phone.

For more information on either fundraiser, call/text/email Jenn Conklin 530-906-1725 jennmarie@protonmail.com

For immediate release: Changes in Orthodox Church Life in the post-Pandemic America

The report, The “New Traditional” in a Most Traditional Church: How the Pandemic Has Reshaped American Orthodox Christian Churches. What Do Lay People Think about It?, is available now. More than 2,000 ordinary parishioners from all parts of the USA participated in this study, and shared their thoughts about Orthodox Church life in America during and post-pandemic   

An executive summary (4 pages) can be downloaded here:
https://orthodoxreality.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/NewTraditionalLaityReportExecSummary.pdf  

A summary of major findings and conclusions (10 pages) can be downloaded here:
https://orthodoxreality.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/NewTraditionalLaityReportConcludingPart.pdf 

The full report can be downloaded here:
https://orthodoxreality.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/NewTraditionalLaityReportFinalSecured.pdf

The core question addressed in this report is: how has the pandemic transformed the Orthodox Church which many think of as "the original Christian Church that never changes"? Special attention has been given to the “mysterious” surge in vitality that some churches experienced despite and even because of the pandemic. 

Here are a few examples of what you will find in the report:
+ Possible future of the “online mode” in the lives of American Orthodox Christian parishes
+ Changes in members’ involvement in the parishes, their personal faith, and attitudes towards the Church.
+ Changes in religious education for children and teenagers
+ Most common scenarios of upsurge and downfall in parish communities during the past two years
+ Growing trust in parish clergy and declining confidence in Bishops and Metropolitans
+ Changes in overall parish vitality and distinctive features of congregations which experienced a surge in vitality throughout the pandemic
+ Three different paths to powerful growth in parish vitality despite, or even because of, the pandemic

Please share this report via social media with your parish communities as well as with Orthodox friends and relatives. Send your reflections and comments to orthodoxdata@usreligioncensus.org or use the contact form on the website: www.orthodoxreality.org. 

For more information about the impact of the pandemic on American Orthodox Churches look at:
https://orthodoxreality.org/coronavirus-and-american-orthodox-parishes 

Respectfully,
Alexei Krindatch,  National Coordinator
Second Census of Orthodox Christian Churches/2020 US Religion Census
www.usreligioncensus.org, www.orthodoxreality.org
Office: 510-647-9427 Cell: 773-551-7226
"You can't manage what you don't understand, and you can't understand what you don't measure"

Mosquito Fire (Update, Request, & Prayers)

This past week, our region has again, sadly, been impacted by devastating wildfires. Our response to this and every other calamity that befalls us must be prayer - for those who have been evacuated/displaced, for those who have lost their homes and businesses, for those who fight these fires, and also for those who care for the ailing. Prayer, both corporate and private, are gifts to God, to one another, and to His creation. Prayer also leads us to other more specific or tangible expressions of God’s love and mercy for those in need within our community and beyond.

The Mosquito Fire as of late has burned over 14,000 acres and is at 0% containment. The next several days will surely be trying for our entire region on account of the extreme heat. More information is available and is regularly updated at https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/9/6/mosquito-fire/

A few requests:
1) Be mindful of your well-being, both the safety of you and your loved ones if you are in proximity to these fires, as well as your health from the air quality.
2) If you have been evacuated and are in need of housing, please let us know so that we can attempt to find you housing.
3) If you are able to provide housing to a member of our community, immediately or in the near future, just in case, please let us know.
4) Please include the following prayer in your devotions.

Together, let us pray that God will keep safe those who fight the fires and that life and property will be preserved as the fires are extinguished. And, may our heartfelt prayers be well-pleasing to God.

__________

Prayer for Protection from Raging Fires
(by Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes)

O Gracious God Who created the earth and all that is in it, Thou didst give us so many blessings. Indeed, Thou didst fill the world with so much beauty, bounty, and no end of wonders! We ask Thee now to save Thy people from nature’s furious fires. Save those in our region and throughout the State whose homes and families are in the path of the wildfires that are consuming the land. Give courage to those who fight fires, who clean up and help others to rebuild after disasters strike. Give strength to all survivors and peace to those whose lives are in danger. Send down abundant rain showers to quench the flames in California. As Thou didst send to Noah of old, send also the rainbow of hope. Nature may rage but Thou, O Lord, we know art a Loving God Who ever holds in Thy hand all Thou hast created. Unto Thee do we give thanks for all things! Grant us humility to repent of our negligence in tending Thy Creation and give us henceforth the will to serve Thee more faithfully. Protect homes and monasteries and all Thy people. In all the days of our lives let us remember to honor and worship Thee as the Living God: Father, Son, and All-Holy Spirit. Amen.