About Us

What is Philoptochos?

Philoptochos is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and has offered over 85 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world.  The Society was established in November 1931, has more than 400 active chapters and over 26,000 members. 

Philoptochos responds immediately to needs and crises and its philanthropic outreach extends to each area of the country and throughout the world. This year National Philoptochos and our chapter contributed to the victims of the fires in Greece and Cyprus as well as the tornadoes in the mid-west.

Mission Statement

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc., is the duly accredited women’s philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of the Society shall be:

  • To help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church through fund raising efforts; and
  • To promote the charitable, benevolent, and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, through instructional programs, presentations, lectures, seminars and other educational resources;
  • To preserve and perpetuate Orthodox Christian concepts and the Orthodox Christian Family, and through them, to promote the Greek Orthodox Faith and traditions, in accordance with its doctrines, canons, discipline, divine worship, usages and customs.
  • To promote participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community, with the cooperation of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council.

The charitable work of the Society shall be performed with discretion, courtesy and kindness.

Our local chapter fulfills this Mission through our National Philoptochos Annual Commitments, our District Commitments and by supporting our Parish and Community.   Our chapter contributes over $2,000 towards our National Commitments.  More information on these commitments can be found at http://www.philoptochos.org/outreach/commitments.

District Commitments include supporting St. Michael’s Home, Holy Cross Scholarship Fund, Hellenic Cultural Center and donations/monetary support for infirm and needy as requested by our District Philoptochos.  District contributions are between $500 to $1,000 annually.

The Ladies of St. John’s Philoptochos

 

Our members work diligently each year to support our church and community through various fundraising efforts. For Christmas and Easter, we provide financial assistance to those in need within our community. Additionally, we offer aid to the infirm when called upon. Throughout the year, we organize various drives, including the Angel Tree donations during the holidays, to support the needy in our local area.

We have extended our assistance to a variety of causes, including supporting veterans, children at Stony Brook Hospital, and organizations like Mercy House, Community Housing Innovations, Hope House, Dress for Success, St. Michael’s Home, Mather Hospital Foundation, Long Island Community Hospital, Long Island Cares, Lighthouse Mission, Special Olympics, Tunnel to Towers, and more. Our efforts include collecting food for local food banks, cooking for parents at Ronald McDonald House, distributing meals and toiletries, and offering direct aid to those in need.

Each Christmas season, Philoptochos selects two groups to benefit. In recent years, we have supported victims of abuse and human trafficking through the Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island and the Suffolk Children’s Advocacy Center. In 2023, we also collected toiletries and baby products for a local women’s shelter as part of a District Philoptochos initiative.

Every third Sunday of the month, we prepare sandwiches for 50 people in need, which are distributed at the Patchogue train station.

In 2022, we began partnering with Habitat for Humanity, helping to stock the pantries of newly built homes and attending dedication ceremonies.

Over the past few years, we have participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Jones Beach, raising over $5,000 for cancer research. We plan to continue walking this year.

In 2024, we have already hosted our annual Vasilopita Brunch and a Brunch and Bingo event in February. We collected clothing for Dress for Success, helping low-income women enter the workforce, and cooked for families staying at Ronald McDonald House. We are also collecting perishable food items for needy children, which will be distributed through Long Island Cares’ Pack It Up for Kids program. Additionally, we cooked for a local veterans’ group in Patchogue, and we collected over 100 pairs of pajamas for EJ PJ’s to distribute within the community.

The community of St. John’s continues to show great generosity, supporting Philoptochos in all its endeavors.

Projects undertaken to Beautify our Church

  • Iconostas
  • Iconography
    • Παντοκράτορα – “Pantokrator,” meaning “Almighty” or “All-powerful,” often used to refer to Christ as ruler of all in Orthodox Christian iconography.
    • Πλατυτέρα των Ουρανών – “Platytera ton Ouranon,” meaning “More spacious than the heavens,” a title for the Virgin Mary in Orthodox Christianity.
    • Κοίμησις της Θεοτόκου – “Koimisis tis Theotokou,” meaning “Dormition of the Theotokos” (Mother of God), referring to the death and assumption of the Virgin Mary.
  • Completion of Stained Glass Windows
  • Emergency Roof Repairs
  • Kitchen and Cabinetry
  • Many Smaller Projects
Fundraising
  • Annual Major Fundraiser (Chinese Auction)
  • Easter and Christmas Bake Sales
  • Brunch with Bingo
  • Sunday Coffee Service
  • Vasilopita Brunch
  • Fasolada Luncheon
  • Loukoumades and Frappe Sundays
  • Donations from Members and Community
Festival Baking

We operate the pastry and Loukoumades stands for the Festival at St. John’s. All of the expenses for these two stands (or almost all) come from fundraisers and donations so that all the proceeds are entirely profit for the church. 
For the past couple of festivals, we raised between $25,000 and $26,400 between the two booths, which was all prophet for St. John’s.

Dues

Our dues are minimal at $30 per year and of that amount, $15 goes to National Philoptochos and $8 to District Philoptochos.
Membership is what you make of it.  Our members contribute their time, assist with our fundraising efforts and support our organization. 

To keep up with Philoptochos and for information on our outreach and fundraising, like our Philoptochos Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/ StJohnsPhiloptochosBluePoint/