Report to National Convention 2008
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT
It has been two years, since His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios bestowed upon me the significant honor of re-appointing me as your National Philoptochos President. With that re-appointment came the continuation of an enormous responsibility and commitment. I thank His Eminence from the depths of my heart for having the confidence in me, to entrust to me, for a third two-year term, the care and evolution of this most wonderful organization named the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society.
It has truly been my privilege to serve as your President for six consecutive years. It is with an almost overwhelming sense of humility, accomplishment, gratitude and pride that I stand before you today to deliver my President's report for the past two years.
My primary objectives for the past two years have been to continue to grow the organization, to continue to build upon the foundation that we have established in the preceding four years, to continue to enhance and to strengthen the outreach and the work that has been achieved already, and to place an extremely high priority on raising the bar even higher, by developing new projects and new initiatives with even greater impact, as we strive to better serve our sacred philanthropic mission as the philanthropic arm of our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
I believe that we have made significant, visible and demonstrable progress in achieving each of these goals and objectives over the past two years. I am delighted to be here today to share this progress with you.
First, let me begin by sharing with you a few general comments.
A beautiful definition of love, which is applicable to our Philoptochos Society, is "love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service and from solitude to kinship with all mankind."
Vision helps us to see the possibilities of tomorrow within the realities of today, and it motivates us to do what needs to be done. Our 2008 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention represents the next step in our journey, as we Look Forward to the future Philoptochos - a new vision - a new spirit - a new day - a new opportunity. With zeal and enthusiasm, in a positive spirit, we will create a blueprint for the future of Philoptochos and our philanthropic work, as we strive to achieve an even higher level of success in our philanthropic ministry, always remembering that "the future is something we create, not something we enter."
Our mission is to promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic outreach, to preserve the sanctity of life and family, and to perpetuate and to promote our Orthodox faith and traditions. It is our responsibility and our duty to execute the principles and concepts of our mission statement, to enhance these concepts, to teach them, to practice them and to institutionalize them into the very fabric of our Philoptochos Society. Let us use our God-given gifts, our abilities, our compassion, our empathy, our faith and our love to further promote the mission of our Society.
Next, let me move on by sharing with you some of the major accomplishments of our Philoptochos Society over the past two years.
Our Philoptochos Society has continued to ensure extraordinary outreach within our Greek Orthodox community and the national and international communities. The following examples represent many of the highlights of the past two years in this category of our philanthropic endeavors.
We began to address the needs of our aging population through the adoption of a resolution that was presented at our 2006 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention. This resolution was brought forth, because the National Board, in honor of our Society's 75th Anniversary, sought to commemorate the lasting contributions and the memory of our founding members, through the creation of a National Commitment both to support existing continuing care facilities, which serve the aging Greek Orthodox population in the United States, and to establish new similar facilities in the future. In response to this resolution, the National Philoptochos Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Founders Fund was established, to be supported by the Chapters of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, through an annual discretionary contribution.
National Philoptochos has always maintained an Emergency Fund, supported by voluntary contributions, to meet unexpected, unanticipated and unforeseen natural disasters, that may impact upon the world's peoples. In recent years, the unprecedented number of natural disasters in the United States and throughout the world have depleted the Emergency Fund, and they have also required repeated, direct solicitations to Metropolis Philoptochos Boards, parish Chapters, and Philoptochos members, thus delaying and interfering with our Society's ability to respond to these disasters in an expeditious and efficient manner. As a result, a resolution was adopted at our 2006 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention to establish the National Philoptochos Emergency Fund, as a discretionary National Commitment, thereby enabling Philoptochos to immediately respond to those in need, in times of national or international disasters.
The National Philoptochos Literacy Outreach program was implemented in November 2005. The inability to read has become a growing problem in the United States as well as the world. Illiteracy has far reaching implications affecting children in the school and employees in the workplace. Our program's objective is to promote literacy through hands on approach by establishing meaningful volunteer opportunities for Philoptochos members and others within our church communities to participate in a tutoring program within the community at large. The importance of literacy is such that we have made the focus and the theme of our Philoptochos Convention Banquet - Promoting Literacy Through Love.
In early June, 2007, Mark Hodde, Senior Management Advisor at the IOCC, sent National Philoptochos a request, seeking funds to assist with the delivery costs for a container of pediatric wheelchairs, mobility devices and other durable medical equipment valued at over $190,000. These items were to be provided for over 200 children at the Jairos Jiri Association Southerton Center, which is a rehabilitation center in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. The transportation cost, as well as the distribution and monitoring costs, were $16,000. In late September, 2007, Mark Hodde contacted Arlene Siavelis, Chair of the Project Review and Management Committee, to inform her that the IOCC was able to work with their transportation partners to reduce the cost of freight by $3,000. IOCC requested a reallocation of these funds to produce a 3 to 5 minute documentary film on this project. This documentary will create an awareness within Philoptochos and among the Orthodox community, to better understand the partnering that occurs between Philoptochos and the IOCC in performing wonderful works together.
Our Wheelchair Foundation project of 2005 was such an overwhelming success that a balance of $19,321 remained in our Fund, after the container of wheelchairs was sent to the Republic of Georgia. By March, 2006, through the receiving of private donations, we had reached our goal of $21,000, to be able to send a container of 280 wheelchairs to Thessaloniki, Greece. Mr. Kosta Zografopoulos, of the Kostas Z Foundation, was a key party for us in Greece, handling all of the arrangements in order to make this dream a reality for many people, who were in great need of a wheelchair. I am very pleased to report that the wheelchairs arrived in Greece in October, 2007, with 50 wheelchairs dropped off at Komotini, and with the remaining 230 wheelchairs going to Thessaloniki. I would like to thank Arlene Siavelis for her work in making both of these dreams a reality.
The women of the National Philoptochos Society, as the philanthropic arm of our Archdiocese, always strive to give solace to people in need. As a tangible offering of our love and concern for the victims of the catastrophic fires in Greece in August, 2007, National Philoptochos sent an initial donation of $50,000 from the treasury of the National Philoptochos Society, specifically directed to the Hellenic Red Cross. A letter was then sent to all of our Chapters, asking them to support the special encyclical, of August 27, 2007, from His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, encouraging a generous response to the Archdiocese Greek Fire Relief Fund. This letter also requested that our Chapters provide additional support in response to our appeal for our National Philoptochos Hellenic Fire Relief Fund. As always, our Chapters responded munificently, and I am pleased to announce that we collected close to $160,000. We were also able to assist with the devastating fires that engulfed Southern California last fall, by offering a donation of $25,000 to His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, who presented it to Metropolitan Gerasimos at our Children's Medical Fund Luncheon.
On Friday, October 5, 2007, the historic National Philoptochos Pilgrimage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate embarked from cities across the United States, led by our National Board Spiritual Advisor, His Grace Bishop Andonios of Phasiane. Plans for the trip emanated from the work of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Committee of the National Board, in order to create a sense of support for, and connection to, the Phanar and its philanthropic ministries, beyond the substantial monetary commitment that we send each year. It was a truly unforgettable spiritual and educational experience, highlighted by an audience with His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. I would like to thank Faye Peponis, Chair, and her committee for making this such a memorable experience for all who participated.
In November, 2007, our Philoptochos Chapters participated in the second annual Family Outreach Sunday program of the Greek Orthodox Department of Outreach and Evangelism. Family Outreach Sunday is meant to encourage inactive family members and Orthodox friends to participate in a special day of Christian fellowship. As part of our mission statement, and through the efforts of our National and Chapter level Family and Society Standing Committee, we are committed to meeting the needs of the families within our parishes. We embrace and support interfaith marriages, newcomers, single parents, youth involvement, and parenting. Our Church family will be strengthened spiritually and socially by our participation in such programs as Family Outreach Sunday, which will hopefully make inactive Orthodox Christians aware of the need for Christ in their hearts and lives and of their importance as members of the body of Christ, the Church. This endeavor is a wonderful way to involve ourselves in community life, as well as to create awareness and promote the ministries of Philoptochos.
Also in November, 2007, the National Philoptochos participated once again in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship program. The OCF is a group of students, on a university or college campus, who come together for fellowship, to learn more about the Orthodox Christian faith and to maintain their bonds to the Church. The OCF program has been called "lifelines" for students, providing them with opportunities to stay connected with, and grow in, the Orthodox faith. The OCF Connect Kit is an essential collection of resources to help a young person stay connected to the Church, during one of the most challenging periods of their lives, college. Let us strive to continue to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to share this information with our parishioners, who may have children in college, or to voluntarily sponsor a number of kits.
These are noteworthy programs that the National Philoptochos Society wholeheartedly endorses and supports. Let us bring the life-saving, shining and unwavering light of Christ into each and everyone's lives, by continuing to support these wonderful activities.
At the 2004 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention, the Chapter Challenge program was implemented, as a way for Chapters to have an opportunity to develop a project from their initiative, that would provide assistance, nurturing and care to the recipients of their work. It was also a means for the selected projects, one from each Metropolis, to have the potential to become National projects.
A committee of nine National Board members was appointed, comprised of one member from the Direct Archdiocesan District and one from each of the eight Metropolises, to review the projects that were submitted at the 2006 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention. The committee was asked to review the projects and to choose one or two that were creative, innovative, philanthropic and within the capabilities of our Chapters.
The committee chose the following two designated projects for our Chapters to voluntarily participate in:
The Nouna Project (Fairy Godmother Foundation), submitted by the Saints Constantine and Helen Philoptochos Chapter, Saints Constantine and Helen Church, Palos Hills, Illinois, Metropolis of Chicago.
The Afghan Project, submitted by the Soteria Philoptochos Chapter, Annunciation Church, Dayton, Ohio, Metropolis of Detroit.
This Chapter Challenge project has been very well received, and we are looking forward to the presentation of the Chapter Challenge of 2008 at this Convention.
Our Eleventh Children's Medical Fund Luncheon, which was held in Newport Beach, California, in November, 2007, was a magnificent success. The event grossed approximately $523,000. There are no words that can fully express our deepest appreciation to Valerie Roumeliotis, Luncheon General Chair, and Patty Chacopulos, Kathy Gabriel, Marina Kookootsedes and Jeannie Ranglas, Luncheon Co-Chairs, for their leadership, selflessness, enormous effort, magnificent talent, creativity and great generosity of heart and spirit. In addition, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos Board, and all of the exceptional women of the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos Chapters, for their enormous efforts on behalf of this event. As a result of this success, we had the privilege and the honor of distributing $150,000 to seven very worthy Children's Hospitals and children's medical programs in the Metropolis of San Francisco. I am also pleased to announce that, in keeping with, and continuing, our past practice to expand the reach of assistance to the suffering people of Africa, through our Children's Medical Fund, a donation of $30,000 was given to the IOCC, to initiate a pilot project with the Park Town Medical Clinic of the Archdiocese of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is in the grip of its worst humanitarian crisis since its independence, and the average life expectancy is 36 years - the lowest in the world. The Park Town Medical Clinic averages 200 patients per week, with a major segment of the clinic population being HIV positive, and with many children who come for vaccinations, malaria treatment, vitamins and other related stomach ailments.
We were truly honored to have, as our special guest speaker that day, Emmy and Golden Globe award winning actor, Michael Chiklis, who is a great supporter of Autism Speaks as well as many other charities. It was our privilege to present Mr. Chiklis a donation of $20,000 for the Autism Speaks program. During this event, we were also delighted that National Philoptochos was able to announce its National Philoptochos Autism Program, an awareness program to address the needs of those who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. As a reminder, April is the National Observance month that is devoted to Autism.
I am extremely pleased and proud to share with you the wonderful news regarding scholarships for deserving female students at Holy Cross School of Theology. In February, 2008, a letter was written to Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, President of our beloved School, requesting that female students enrolled at Holy Cross School of Theology, who meet the same academic and financial requirements as the GOA seminarians, also be considered for National Philoptochos scholarships. In April, 2008, Fr. Triantafilou responded most positively to our request, saying that HCHC "will certainly actualize with great joy" our consensus that deserving female students be given the same opportunity as male GOA seminarians in the awarding of our National Philoptochos scholarships. Fr. Triantafilou added that our "decision honors them and will play a very important role in advancing the numbers of young women who opt to study here at our Church's School." I would like to thank Diane Miminos and Crystal Thomas, Chairs, and Helen Collis, Co-Chair, of our HCHC Committee, and their committee members, for their perseverance in bringing this significant accomplishment to fruition.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, during a recent meeting of the Board of St. Basil Academy in March, 2008, addressed that Board by saying that they must "look for ways to develop the existing foundation at St. Basil Academy for the children, but must also look for other functions and enlarge the circle of activity at the Academy and promote additional appropriate use." His Eminence closed the discussion by charging the St. Basil Academy Board to exercise the "freedom to think boldly and to have the courage to move forward, to have Faith in what we are doing." Guided by these words, the St. Basil Academy Board began the process of strategic planning to optimize the mission of St. Basil Academy and its expansive campus.
The Public Relations Committee under the leadership of Barbara Pasalis and Christine Karavites, Chairs, has achieved enormous strides during this time period. This committee has set a goal to establish tools and technology systems that support timely communication with our Philoptochos Chapters, parishes and the greater community at large. The Public Relations Committee has made substantial progress on these goals and the associated projects. I am excited to share with you some highlights of this progress.
The dream of a new website has become a reality. Our new site went live on June 19, 2008. During this Convention, we will have the opportunity to view our new National Philoptochos website. Barbara and Christine have worked miracles to produce this website, by overcoming many difficulties and obstacles. It has truly been a labor of love that is greatly appreciated. I thank Barbara and Christine, along with Nicholas Sialmas, a volunteer and Parish Council President of St. Nicholas Church in Newburgh, New York, who have assisted the National Philoptochos in achieving this long awaited dream. You will find all communications regarding special projects, press releases, special events and all other pertinent information that would be of interest to our members on our website, www.philoptochos.org. We are still in the process of compiling an e-mail list of our entire membership, to include them on our list servers, for the immediate dissemination of this information. Please ensure that you have provided your e-mail address to the National Office. Our interactive website will also provide a link, through the Social Services home page, to a listing of the myriad services that are available to those in need of philanthropic assistance.
A standard format has been developed for our page in the Orthodox Observer, which features one Metropolis in each issue and a discussion of that month's commitments as well as the various National Philoptochos ministries.
The Philoptochos Voice is our additional tool of communication, which has been designed with you, the Philoptochos member, in mind. The Philoptochos Voice was conceived in order to provide you with a comprehensive source for sharing information and ideas about the phenomenal work and activities of the Philoptochos Society across all levels. The new issue has been included in your Convention packets. We need your participation in providing articles for this wonderful communications vehicle. I would like to thank Mary Doreza, Chair, for her work on this significant resource.
I am truly pleased with our progress in this area, since these tools, which are designed to expand our presence and our capabilities in public relations and in communications are essential to the growth and expansion of our organization.
Our Department of Social Services, under the capable leadership of Diamond Prassakos-Delagrammatikas, our Social Worker, and our National Philoptochos Social Services Committee continues to conscientiously perform the many activities associated with our broad range of Social Services. These services truly represent the essence of what our organization is about. They are preparing a very comprehensive presentation to be given at this Convention. I would like to thank Diamond, Efthalia Katos, as Chair of the National Philoptochos Social Services Committee, and Stella Fiorentino and Haeda Mihaltses, Co-Chairs, for their efforts in making our Department of Social Services one that is significant and notable, and for their valuable contributions to the overall result of enhancing, progressing and promoting the philanthropic mission and outreach of Philoptochos.
One item from their lengthy list of accomplishments, that I would like to specifically discuss, is the Directory of Services for Older Adults. In 2006, the Sub-Committee on Aging developed a manual that provided information about various aspects of aging. As a follow up to this publication, the National Social Worker, on behalf of, and with the help and the support of, the Sub-Committee on Aging, has developed a Directory of Services, that will assist the community with the practical aspects of aging. This Sub-Committee has secured resources to translate and to publish this information into the Greek language. I want to thank Diamond, Helen Misthos, and Paulette Geanacopoulos, Chairs of the Sub-Committee on Aging, their sub-committee, and Efthalia, Stella and Haeda, as General Chairs of the Social Services Committee, once again, for all of their efforts in making this very timely and important document a reality.
Once again, our Go Red Sunday, which was held in February, 2008, was a great success. The success of this event lies in the raising of awareness of this specific National Health Observance Day, as it is the American Heart Association's national call to increase awareness of heart disease, the number one killer of American women. I want to thank Daphne Zaralidis, Chair, and Yiota Simoglou, Co-Chair, for their work on this very important campaign.
April is our National Commitment month for IOCC. In April, 2008, our Chapters received a video from IOCC that highlights the most recent endeavors of Philoptochos in Woliso, Ethiopia, and in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The video depicts the progress made in providing a health clinic that will give critical access to healthcare for children and adults in Woliso, Ethiopia, where the HIV/AIDS crisis is of the highest priority. This activity was conducted in partnership with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The video also shows the delivery of wheelchairs and mobility devices to disabled children and adults in Zimbabwe, which has the lowest life-expectancy in the world and the highest rate of inflation. As mentioned earlier, National Philoptochos donated the funds for the transporting of these items to Africa. The images of smiling people giving thanks and singing, despite their disabilities and poverty, is a moving testament to the very positive impact of our partnership with IOCC.
I am pleased to report that the Handbook Committee has finished the new National Philoptochos Handbook. This handbook is a concise, complete, comprehensive and extremely useful resource tool for Philoptochos Presidents, Boards and members at the National, Metropolis and Chapter levels. It contains a wealth of information about all aspects of Philoptochos. The handbook will be available from the National Office upon request. Each Metropolis President has received a copy of the handbook for her reference, as well as for potential further distribution to her Chapter Presidents, as she may deem appropriate. The handbook will also be available online from the newly established National Philoptochos website. I would like to thank Yiota Simoglou, Handbook Committee Chair, Dee Nicolaou, Co-Chair, and Ourania Soumas, member, for their efforts in bringing this project to fruition.
Another project I am delighted to share with you is the Project Bank Outreach Resource Manual. The Project Bank Committee, a sub-committee of the Project Review and Management Committee, under the capable chairmanship of Pam Argyris and Irene Arsoniadis, undertook the task of surveying outreach projects that our Philoptochos Chapters have implemented on the local level. The objective of this survey was to allow us the means to preview the many and diverse outreach projects that Chapters have undertaken on the local level, which could be shared with all of our Chapters and possibly implemented on the National level. We were amazed at the depth of the projects and the programs that the Chapters were involved in. This Project Bank Outreach Resource Manual offers a compilation of the many special projects that have been both successful and productive, and is a wonderful pooling of information and ideas, making it a valuable resource tool for the Chapters. The Resource Manual was distributed to the Chapters at their local Metropolis Conferences and will be posted in its entirety on our web site www.philoptochos.org.
A great honor was most recently bestowed upon the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. After thoughtful and detailed consideration of all worthy nominees, our Society was unanimously selected by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, Inc. to participate in the 2008 Greek Independence Day Parade on Sunday, April 6, in New York City. As National President, I was asked to represent our entire organization, as one of the three Grand Marshals.
A Metropolis HIV/Aids Walk-A-Thon, sponsored by the National Philoptochos, will be kicked off at this Convention. The Walk-A-Thon will take place in the spring of 2009. The proceeds of this event will benefit a national agency within the United States as well as a special project in Ethiopia through our partnership with IOCC. I would like to thank Elaine Cladis and Barbara Latsonas, Chairs, for their continued work on this very significant event.
At our March, 2008 National Board meeting, I invited Jerry Minetos, Development Officer, and Laura Paulus, Development Associate, from the Office of Parish Development of the Archdiocese, to conduct a Strategic Planning session with us, over our two days of deliberations, as the primary focus of the agenda for this National Board meeting. The theme of this session was Strategic Planning - Laying Foundations Toward a Preferred Future. What is strategic planning? Strategic planning is a management tool used only for one purpose, namely, to help an organization do a better job, by focusing its energy, by ensuring that its members are all working toward the same goals, and by assessing and adjusting its direction in response to a changing environment. In short, strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future.
Why do strategic planning? Throughout the last six years, I have been focused on moving toward the future Philoptochos. With this objective in mind, I decided that it was imperative to dedicate the time at this most recent National Board meeting, to take a most meaningful step forward in this direction, and to prepare for the continuation of these discussions at our 2008 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention, whose theme, once again, is Looking Forward - The future is something we create, not something we enter.
Our third two-year journey together has now culminated with our 2008 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention. I want to take this moment to make you aware of the changes that I made, as part of the preparation and the planning for our Convention.
The structure of our Convention committees was altered, in order to provide a more broad-based opportunity for new members to participate in the Convention process. As a result of this change, a new member was paired with an experienced member on each Convention committee.
These structural changes were consistent with the principles of mentorship, which I applied to the format of our Standing and Special Committees of the National Philoptochos Society. As you will remember, a strong and consistent theme, throughout our organization on all levels, has been to promote the integration of new members into the fabric of our Philoptochos, who will bring forth new ideas, new stimulation and motivation.
These changes in the structure of the Convention committees, and the incorporation of new members working closely with more experienced members, will ensure the perpetuation of not only the vision of our Society, but also the continuation of the legacy of achievement of the past into the future, specifically, the 2008 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention and future Conventions.
As we gather together as a united assembly to learn, to experience and to become stimulated, inspired and challenged, in order for us to better serve our philanthropic ministry, I am confident that our 2008 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention will be a most rewarding and memorable experience for each and every delegate.
It is because of the extraordinary success of our Convention Sponsorship Committee, with Chairs, Kassandra Romas and Pat Galanis, and the magnificent and munificent sponsors, that National Philoptochos was able to sponsor to this Convention a total of nine small Chapters, one from the Direct Archdiocesan District, and one from each of our eight Metropolises. We are truly grateful to our Convention sponsors. These small Chapters are very dedicated and committed to our mission, and we are extremely delighted that we could offer this opportunity to them. We are honored to have them participate in this Convention with us.
With their boundless enthusiasm and dynamic spirit, our Convention Program Chair and Co-Chairs, Diane Tseckares, Maria Logus and Pauline O'Neal, have succeeded in preparing an exciting agenda of programs and activities for you that will be educational, informative, and inspiring. We are extremely grateful to all of our 2008 Convention Committee Chairs, their committees and the Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos, our Host Committee, under the leadership of President Maria Skiadas, and Co-Chairs Pat Gogos and Efthalia Katos, and all of the exceptional members and volunteers, for their endless energy and tireless efforts to bring us a Convention that will surely be a shining beacon of excellence.
I firmly believe that the exciting agenda of programs and activities of our Convention will provide you with the unique opportunity to avail yourselves of a wealth of information, knowledge and experience. My desire for each of you during our Convention is that you take advantage of these resources. I urge each of you to make a personal commitment to take advantage of these resources to help you in creating the blueprint of our future Philoptochos and to carry the message of this future back to your individual local Chapters.
It is my additional wish that your stay in Washington, and your participation in our Convention, will be a most positive and passionate experience, filled with love, fellowship, camaraderie and fun. May the irrepressible effervescence that we feel as individuals be shared by all in attendance to strengthen the entire body of Philoptochos.
As we enter an era that will secure the continued success of Philoptochos, and as we create an agenda for the future, we must always remember and honor the legacy of Philoptochos, a legacy that has been established through seven and a half decades; one that is most significant; one that encompasses a tradition of excellence in dedicated service with a strong commitment to our mission. While we remain true to the sacred center of our mission, as it was established at the inception of Philoptochos, we must reflect on our enormous successes, and we must capitalize on our strengths and abilities, as we steadily demonstrate the benefit of moving towards the future Philoptochos. It is imperative that we think beyond the present and into the future, to explore new directions with creativity, enthusiasm and determination, based on the cohesiveness that is centered on our shared vision and our shared values. Let us realize our fullest potential, and let us strive towards this future, as we promote progress and the advancement of our Philoptochos Society to serve humankind in a greater and broader scope. Let us honor the importance of volunteerism more fully, let us expect more of it, and let us demand more of ourselves and others in volunteer roles.
In order to ensure the continued evolution of Philoptochos, and to meet the growing demands of contemporary America, we need to intensify our focus on the introduction of new and actively participating members to our Society, by extending our membership to embrace the multi-generational and the multi-demographic span of women who comprise our parishes in the United States. This is a responsibility and a challenge that I pose to everyone at all levels of our organization, namely, the Chapters, the Metropolis Boards, as well as the National Board. Each and every one of us needs to take this responsibility and challenge very seriously, and to incorporate and to implement new ideas, innovative projects and an open-minded thought process, so that we may encourage a membership that will be enthusiastic, vibrant and creative.
Finding unity among diversity is one of civilization's greatest challenges, yet working together is essential to the well being of the whole. Unity implies oneness. But oneness does not necessarily imply sameness. We are all different and unique individuals, who, through unity of purpose, can team together synergistically to accomplish great tasks, tasks where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
As members of the National Board, Metropolis Boards and Chapter Boards we need to fulfill the role of leaders, who are willing to assume the mantle of creating a future legacy by taking the following actions: challenging the process of what "has been" with a new norm focused on reflection, development and continuous improvement; inspiring and catalyzing a shared vision; and bringing the necessary skills and talents to our respective boards, that can be aligned with the vision and the strategic plan of the organization. Even though we have enjoyed much success in establishing the necessary connectedness across the various levels of our Philoptochos Society, it is evident to me that there still needs to be more attention focused in this area. Each of us needs to make a greater and more committed effort to communicate more consistently, more frequently and more accurately, on behalf of the significant work that we initiate and accomplish at the National level.
In addition, I have repeatedly emphasized the absolute criticality of continuing the evolution of the Standing and Special Committees of the National Board. We need more focus on, and more passion for, achieving greater participation in, more extensive collaboration with, and increased output from the Standing and Special Committees of the National Board. Reaching this goal will reinforce the complementary and reciprocal roles and responsibilities that each of us shares as a National Board member, and it will encourage greater accountability and results at both the individual contributor and committee levels. It will also allow for the emphasis on all forms of complete and accurate communication and information distributed and disseminated across our Society. As we continue to adapt and to refine the structure of our Society, we are ensuring that we are coming into closer and better alignment with the goals, objectives and structure of our ministries.
The Standing and Special Committees of the National Board have been evolving toward this lofty goal for the past four years. In 2006, it was time to take a significant step forward in ensuring the perpetuation of the vision of our Society as implemented through these committees. Our members represent an extremely capable, innovative and dedicated group of women. A strong and consistent theme throughout our organization on all levels has been one that desires to promote the integration of new members into the fabric of our Philoptochos, who will bring forth new ideas, new stimulation and new motivation, and who will embrace the multi-generational and multi-demographic span of women in our parishes. In keeping with this theme, and after reviewing all of the profiles of the National Board members, I decided to restructure the committees, so that, in most cases, the previous chairs took on a mentoring and guiding role as co-chairs. I tried to place each member according to their committee choices, as well as taking into account their educational background, professional experience, and Philoptochos and community service. I am most pleased to report that this exercise was a resounding success, as the committees made tremendous progress in achieving their respective goals and objectives and in executing their implementation action plans. I am confident that this approach has set a firm and secure foundation for the future growth and evolution of these committees.
Synergy is the essence of principle-centered leadership. Synergy catalyzes, unifies and unleashes the greatest powers within people. It is synergy that has allowed the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society to become the dynamic, creative and inspirational force for worldwide philanthropy that it now represents. We have demonstrated the reality of the synergistic principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual components. Synergy is the combined action of different agents; for us, these agents are the various levels of our organization, namely, the National, Metropolis and Chapter levels, producing significantly greater results with our combined efforts than can be accomplished individually.
It is because of our synergy, our combined effort, the constant support and the selfless and untiring efforts of the Executive and National Boards, the Metropolis Presidents and Board members, and the Chapter Presidents and members, that our achievements have resulted in a banner period of outreach and commitment to the ideals of philanthropy. As a consequence of this work, the National Philoptochos was able to donate a total of well over $8 million to our National Commitments and special projects, since my administration began in September, 2002. I extend my profound and heartfelt gratitude to all of you, for you are truly the heart and soul of our Philoptochos Society. You are the reason that, through seven and a half decades, Philoptochos has successfully continued to achieve excellence in its mission of philanthropy and in its ability to encompass a tradition of dedicated service, devotion and commitment.
The power of philanthropy itself, and the power that emanates from the pursuit of philanthropy, are, quite simply, tremendous. Philanthropists can save lives, build schools, advance medical research, ease pain and suffering, feed and house the homeless, and administer to the elderly. Philanthropy in its purest form involves so much more than just the financial aspect, which, in itself, is of great importance. It includes the giving of our hearts, our minds, and our talents in ways that enrich the lives of all people regardless of race or social status. It is about having a passion around giving something back and around doing something that helps society. This passion can fuel change. Philanthropy is selflessness. People who find the most meaning in life are those who have formed their thoughts and actions around a philanthropic purpose that makes their lives worthwhile and fulfilling.
I would like to express my love and my great appreciation to the members of my Executive Board for their ongoing dedication and commitment to Philoptochos and for their constant assistance, support, and guidance, and, above all, their friendship. I sincerely appreciate their strength, their leadership, and their genuine dedication and commitment to our Philoptochos Society. I thank you all from the depths of my heart, as we have shared in a very special opportunity to have participated in the creation of a Philoptochos that is a prominent, significant, unique, and driving force of philanthropic outreach across our entire nation.
I would also like to express my profound gratitude to the National Board for their devotion to, and active participation in, the enhancement of our Society's charitable and philanthropic endeavors. Without your support, commitment and dedication, these accomplishments also would not have been possible. A deep and heartfelt expression of gratitude is extended to all of the Standing and Special Committee Chairs, Co-Chairs and members, for their extraordinary accomplishments over the last two years. Goals and dreams have been realized, and significant growth has occurred, because of their tireless efforts and work. They truly exemplify the meaning of the word volunteer.
God has blessed us with a wonderful gift, His Grace Bishop Andonios. We offer our love and special thanks to him, as the spiritual advisor to our Philoptochos Society. His Grace is a person who has an abundance of love, compassion, spirituality, humility and wisdom. We are most grateful for the support and guidance that he has provided over these past two years.
On behalf of the entire Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our devoted staff of the National Office, Helen Lavorata, our Director, Diamond Prassakos-Delagrammatikas, our Social Worker, Stella Xikis, our accountant, and Kay Brakatselos and Katina Katsanevas, for all of their work, their support and their constant desire to help in every way that they can. Without their dedication, commitment and conscientious efforts, these accomplishments also would not have been possible. I thank you for being such an important part of our wonderful journey.
In closing, I would like to leave you with these thoughts on grace. "For some, grace is forgiveness and kindness. For others, grace is elegance and class. For many of us, grace means God's grace, a state of love and mercy. For all, grace represents a state of being that transcends the ordinary and makes each of us more spiritual, more humble and more confident."
Grace is the unfailing commitment to love all persons, regardless of their beliefs. Only grace makes it possible for those who believe differently to respect and to relate to one another. Grace allows us to disagree, to challenge the damaging beliefs of others, even as we are challenged, and to do this without violating the autonomy and dignity of others. Grace empowers us to embrace deeply divergent convictions, even as we embrace one another. We love one another as God loves us - graciously.