Τα Νέα/The News. December Ladies Philoptochos Society. Evangelistria Chapter. Carmel, Indiana. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

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1 Τα Νέα/The News December 2018 Evangelistria Chapter Ladies Philoptochos Society Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Carmel, Indiana DECEMBER 4 Philoptochos Christmas Party All Philoptochos members and spouses are invited to join us for our Christmas Dinner with musical entertainment on Sunday, December 16, 5:30 pm at Athens on 86th Street. Reservations will be taken on Sunday, December 9 in the Founders' Walk following Divine Services. Deadline is Tuesday, December 11. All reservations must be honored. Cost is $35 per person. Donations accepted for St. Jude Children's Hospital Contact: Nancy Ajango ( ) Irene Sarris ( ) or Cindy Woodruff ( ) BOARD MEETING DECEMBER 8 PARISH CHRISTMAS PARTY DECEMBER 12 HOLIDAY BAKE SESSION 9 AM DECEMBER 15 HOLIDAY BAKE SALE 9 AM PHILOPTOCHOS SOUP KITCHEN DECEMBER 16 PHILOPTOCHOS CHRISTMAS DINNER ATHENS ON 86TH DECEMBER 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS JANUARY 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR JANUARY 6 VASILOPITA LUNCHEON JANUARY 14 SERVING MEAL - WHEELER MISSION WOMEN/CHILDREN CENTER

2 Dear Philoptochos Family and Friends, The News/Τα Νέα President s Letter Amazingly we are entering the Advent season of 2018! Thanksgiving, once again, provided the opportunity to count our blessings. I am so thankful for the many people God has brought into my life, especially the many members of my family and my church family. It is such a joy to see how our Philoptochos chapter spends time doing for others. On October 27, Lea Dunbar, Theone Dickos, Cindy Woodruff and I had the privilege of preparing lunch for the OCF Retreat that was held at Holy Trinity. It was such a blessing to see the joy and energy of these college students from regional universities and colleges learning, eating and working on a service project together. On that same day we had a team of ladies led by Sondra Vitsas and Stacey Apostoles baking koulourakia for distribution on Election Day. Thank you to Sandy Foerster for leading this effort on Election Day and for the volunteers who passed out koulourakia and coffee to the voters. In honor of the Name Day of our Philoptochos Patron Saints, St. Kosmas and St. Damianos, our chapter offered artoclasia on November 4. Once again, Yiota Moe baked the wonderful loaves of bread for us. Saturday, November 10, we held a Pajama Party for Wheeler Mission for Women and Children. Many thanks to Yiota Moe and Mina Potamousis for chairing this event. Those in attendance enjoyed a scrumptious brunch followed by a presentation from Bethany Nelson from Wheeler Mission for Women and Children, a general meeting, and time to create a succulent dish garden. Bethany shared about the wonderful Christian ministry Wheeler does for homeless women and children in Indianapolis, all without any federal funds. The pajamas and sheets we collected were much appreciated as every resident gets a new pair of pajamas in December. Tracy Pappas is coordinating further efforts for our chapter to serve at Wheeler. We will be preparing and serving a meal for them on Jan. 14. Please let Tracy or I know if you are available to help with this. During the general meeting, Lorrie Clevenger was installed to our Philoptochos Board. Thank you, Lorrie, for your willingness to give your time and talent to our board! Our annual Thanksgiving Project of distribution of Kroger gift cards is complete. Irene Doney and Nora Spenos once again took on this project. They were joined this year by Vickie Sofianopoulos. I am so grateful to you ladies for the time and effort you put into the ordering, packaging, distribution and follow-up to help those in need in our community. We purchased $5,000 of $50 Kroger gift cards and received $5,200 worth

3 of gift cards. Every agency, school or organization who received them to distribute told us how very much they were needed and appreciated. The need is great and I so wish we could do more, and hope to, next year. I also want to thank those of you who contributed to the second tray collections. We received around $3,000 to go toward this Thanksgiving project. The Giving Tree ornaments were quickly taken, along with the Christmas store lists, and the gifts are being brought in. We are blessed to be able to help families connected with the Faye Biccard Glick Center in Indianapolis. Thank you to Beth Eleftheri for heading up this project! Now, as my favorite time of year is here with the holiday traditions, music, food, hustle and bustle, I pray you enjoy the extra time celebrating with family and friends. May this Christmas Season be one of joy as we celebrate the best gift of all, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior! Christmas Blessings, Diana Dine Christmas Giving Tree The Giving Tree is now available! Gifts will be given to Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center to help struggling families. This year there are 2 options - Option 1: Ornaments with a child s name may be found on the Giving Tree in the Founders Walk. Take one and donate wrapped items using the information provided. Option 2: Bring unwrapped items from the item request list located beside the tree. These gifts will be donated to the Center to allow parents to shop for their children at their Christmas Store. Gifts must be returned by Sunday, December 9. Questions? Please contact Beth Eleftheri (beleftheri@indy.rr.com or ) For National Philoptochos news, go to

4 Christmas Blessings As the Feast of the Nativity approaches, we can find the true spirit of the season in a favorite Christmas scene from classic literature. In Little Women, Louisa May Alcott s memoir of the March family, set during the Civil War, the four daughters struggle with their newly impoverished status and lament the lack of stockings hung at the fireplace and lavish gifts. When they awaken on Christmas morning, each of the girls finds that their mother, the beloved Marmee, has placed a small book under each of their pillows. Their disappointment quickly turns to joy as they realize that the books, each covered in different colored cloth, are, in fact, small bibles, telling that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived... a true guidebook for any pilgrim going the long journey. The story of Christ s life, the best life ever lived, spurs the March daughters to embrace and spread Christmas cheer through the priceless gift of selflessness and kindness. Following His example, they happily sacrifice their much anticipated Christmas breakfast to feed a starving family. Committing themselves to reading their bibles a little every morning, they find joy in the love of family and in their resolve to be better, more loving people. As the March girls learned and as we as Christians know, the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity offers each of us yet another opportunity to find inspiration in Christ s selfless love. We can embrace generosity and offer comfort to the needy and less fortunate. We can substitute the all too pervasive consumer frenzy with the peace of thoughtful love and kindness. In Christ s life and in the celebration of His birth, we can find Peace, Hope and Love. Wishing you all a joyful Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year, Maria Logus National President Executive Board: (Pictured left to right) Elaine Zetes, Pam Agyris, Georgia Vlitas, Theone Dickos, Evangeline Mekras-Scurtis, Barbara Vittas, Maria Logus, Crystal Thomas, Joanne Stavrakas, Jennifer Constantin, Martha Stefanidakis, Barbara Pasalis, Irene Steffas, and Irene Politis.

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6 Order your favorite Greek delicacies now for the holidays! Great gift idea for friends, family, teachers, neighbors and employees. Please place your orders in the Founders' Walk following the Divine Services. Orders must be received by Monday, December 10, Pastries will be available for pickup at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Saturday, December 15, 10 am - 2 pm Philoptochos President, Diana Dine with Bethany Nelson, Family Program Director for Wheeler Mission for Women and Children, at the Pajama Party Thank you to all who contributed!!

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8 The News/Τα Νέα 12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy. Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy and ready to enjoy the holidays. 1. Wash hands often to help prevent the spread of germs. It s flu season. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. 2. Bundle up to stay dry and warm. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: light, warm layers, gloves, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots. 3. Manage stress. Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and out of control. Some of the best ways to manage stress are to find support, connect socially, and get plenty of sleep. 4. Don t drink and drive or let others drink and drive. Whenever anyone drives drunk, they put everyone on the road in danger. Choose not to drink and drive and help others do the same. 5. Be smoke-free. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Smokers have greater health risks because of their tobacco use, but nonsmokers also are at risk when exposed to tobacco smoke. 6. Get exams and screenings. Ask your health care provider what exams you need and when to get them. Update your personal and family history. Get insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace if you are not insured. 7. Get your vaccinations. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. 8. Monitor children. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, and other objects out of children s reach. Protect them from drowning, burns, falls, and other potential accidents. 9. Practice fire safety. Most residential fires occur during the winter months, so don t leave fireplaces, space heaters, food cooking on stoves, or candles unattended. Have an emergency plan and practice it regularly.

9 10. Prepare food safely. Remember these simple steps: Wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures and refrigerate foods promptly. 11. Eat healthy, stay active. Eat fruits and vegetables which pack nutrients and help lower the risk for certain diseases. Limit your portion sizes and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Also, be active for at least 2½ hours a week and help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day. 12. Give thanks to God. Remember the purpose of this Holy season thank God for sending His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, into the world, being born of the Virgin Mary and becoming a human being for the purpose of our salvation. Thank our Lord for all of the blessings that we enjoy in our life. Green Team Tips for Mindful December Fasting Waste not want not. This proverb suggests that what we reuse and recycle today may help sustain us and others tomorrow. As part of your planning for a Christmas feast, consider the following ways to avoid wasting food. 1. Calculate portions for the number of people who will be at your table. 2. Plan storage of leftover food by having containers and bags ready. 3. Look for leftover recipes on the internet and magazines. 4. Check out food scrap cookbooks. 5. Send home extra food with your guests. 6. Locate a shelter that may need the food. 7. Be generous and donate food to a shelter before Christmas. 8. Compost unusable food scraps. Many blessings to you and yours from The Green Team RESERVE JAN. 19 FOR A GREEN TEAM & PHILOPTOCHOS EVENT WHAT TO PLANT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE On Saturday, January 19, 2019, The Green Team and Philoptochos are co-hosting a brunch at 11:00 am 1:00 pm. The speaker is Andrew Fritz, an urban agriculture conservationist. He will discuss the Purdue climate change report, Indiana s Past and Future Climate, and will explain how Indiana s landscape, flora, and fauna are going to change. Learn what is at stake, why, and how to prepare our land. Everyone in our parish is invited. A free will donation is welcomed.

10 Koulourakia Election Baking On Saturday, Oct. 27, Sondra Vitsas, Stacey Apostoles and their team baked dozens of koulourakia to be distributed along with hot coffee to the voters at the polling site at Holy Trinity. Our goal was to be a good neighbor and welcome them to Holy Trinity. Many people took order forms for our Holiday Bake sale in December. We also had some people inquire about purchasing that day and we sold about 10 dozen. Thanks to Sandy Foerster for coordinating the volunteers for Election Day and for all those who gave of their time for this project.

11 OCF Luncheon On Saturday, October 27, Diana Dine, Lea Dunbar, Theone Dickos and Cindy Freudenberg prepared and served lunch for 23 students and four leaders for the Regional OCF Retreat held at Holy Trinity. We served Greek comfort food, green beans, Greek salad, rolls, and Chef Jimmy s pastichio! Dessert consisted of cookies and we sent them home with a bag of freshly baked koulourakia.

12 Coffee Hour is a time of fellowship and we encourage everyone to volunteer. Simply click the link and sign up! go/4090c4aaaaf2fa6ff2-holy. RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS October/November 2018 National Emergency Fund $ 400 Hurricane Florence Relief Fund 500 Hurricane Michael Relief Fund 200 National Sisterhood of Presbyteres (APC/NSP) 200 Ecumenical Patriarchate 150 Metropolis Emergency Fund 150 Pink Ribbon Connection (breast cancer awareness) 1,000 Thanksgiving Gift Cards (Kroger) 5,000 TOTAL $ 7,600