The Weirton Christian Center - Providing a Nurturing and Empowering Environment for Children in Need

At the National Philoptochos Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon this past October 2013, $136,900 was given out in grants for innovative research programs to pediatric hospitals and to organizations with special programs that care for children with critical and life threatening illnesses.
 
One of the grant recipients was the Weirton Christian Center of Weirton, West Virginia, who received $5,000 towards their Journey Transportation Project. The Weirton Christian Center serves low-income families in the area, providing clothing, meals, gift cards for groceries for families in need. They also provide an after school program, educational assistance programs, a free preschool and transportation.
 
Our guest blogger this week is Kim Weaver, Executive Director of Weirton Christian Center. Kim explains the reasons behind the ongoing poverty in the area and why the Center’s services are essential for empowering children and their families.

The Weirton Christian Center began in 1917, the same year that Weirton Steel began.  There were 34 different ethnic groups that came to work in the mill and the Christian Center was the place where they learned English, gained citizenship, and met with friends.  Children received immunizations and programs included a basketball league, dance lessons, bible studies, kindergarten and more. So many of our friends at the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton tell stories of growing up at the Center and all the ways it meant so much to them.

Times have changed in Weirton.  The mill has gone from 13,000 employees to less than 1,000.  There are more unemployed than ever and the big industry of gaming has taken over and many times is the reason for ongoing poverty.  Now, the Center is home to a free pre-school for ages three to five and a free after school program for  K-12th graders. The children arrive by school bus and are given a healthy snack as well as homework help and tutoring each day. Programs include literacy, fitness, music, sign language to praise songs, manners, leadership, and many more. They are provided with dinner three times each week and Blessing Bags of food for long weekends they are not in school with both breakfast and lunch.

Our donation room provides free school supplies at the beginning of the school year and all year long. We have new and used children’s clothing and shoes, and some household items for families. Our God’s Helping Hand Fund provides for emergency utility assistance, and other areas that affect our families.

Project Journey is about empowering people- especially children- through the Journey of Life.  Through these programs we provide training in life skills and transportation. We offer free transportation for pre-school classes and transportation by Center vans home for the children who come to the Center after school.  We have two vans, one   8-passenger and one 15-passenger that take the children home each night. Our 21-passenger van can only be used when we have a driver with a CDL license.  The vans take two trips each and sometimes more to get all the children home, all over town.   We also provide transportation for 12 children to and from the Christian school in Paris, Pennsylvania.  Families ask for rides to work, the grocery store, doctor and dentist appointments, school sporting events and practices. Since we have provided scholarships for Upward Basketball, we also take those children to their practices throughout the week, since most have no other way of getting there.

Thanks to the National Philoptochos Society Children’s Medical Fund, our vehicles will continue to be of service to the underprivileged children and families in our community. 

-Kim Weaver, Executive Director
Weirton Christian Center

Does Philoptochos Promote Heart Health?

Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s national call to increase awareness and help prevent heart disease, the number one killer of American women.

The National Philoptochos Society promotes the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign to increase awareness.  The American Heart Association has designated Friday, February 7, 2014 as National Wear Red Day. In support of this program, we are designating Sunday, February 9 as Go Red Sunday and are asking our Philoptochos sisters across the country to join the movement and wear red when attending Church services.  Share information with your Philoptochos sisters, your parish community and all the women you know and love in regards to heart health and heart disease prevention.

With this in mind we have invited one of our beloved regular contributors to Philanthropy by Philoptochos to write about heart health. Denise Millstine, MD not only gives us some wonderful tips in this post on how to keep our hearts healthy but also explains how by being members of Philoptochos we are already giving our hearts a healthy boost.


Have you ever found yourself trying to be healthy only to learn what you are doing is “wrong”? Perhaps you were eating eggs in the morning, only to be told they are causing your cholesterol to be high. Maybe you were running regularly then read it may cause strain on your heart?

The health of our cardiovascular system is dependent upon many variables, some of which are modifiable by our actions, lifestyle, and choices. Still, the advice can be complicated and confusing – not to mention inconsistent and always changing.

It is probably simpler than it seems. Four pillars of heart health have been described by world-renowned researcher and health expert Dr. Dean Ornish, and they are, or easily could be, aligned with our Philoptochos activities and mission.

The pillars are:
    1.    Nutrition
    2.    Fitness
    3.    Stress Management
    4.    Love & Support
(ornishspectrum.com, accessed 1/12/14)

1. Nutrition

What should we eat? Food that we recognize as food – and that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers would recognize as well! If we are eating from a package, there is a good chance our “food” does not meet this criteria. One of the easiest ways to eat real food is to stay on the perimeter of your supermarket – venturing into those inner aisles only on rare occasions.

As Philoptochos, we can encourage this in our communities and families by creating traditional dishes. Next time you serve roast pork, salad, green beans, and rice or homemade bread, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

2. Fitness 

We all need to move. The standard recommendation is 2 ½ hours per week of moderate exercise. This can be measured by whether or not you can easily hold a conversation during the exertion.

Often, we put the needs of others first and we don’t take the time to prioritize exercise for ourselves. Maybe you cringe at the thought of “hitting the gym” or were injured last time you tried to embrace a fitness program.

If you can, do the exercise with intention and intensity. If you can’t, buy a pedometer to wear as you serve your family, community, and church. You just might find that tracking your steps and setting a goal, probably around 10,000 per day, will encourage more movement incorporated into your daily life.

3. Stress Management

Stress is necessary. A world without stress is not a productive one. Stress can also cause disease. Too much stress contributes to anxiety and insomnia. Did you know it also weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to infection, such as colds? Stress, in excess, contributes to chronic diseases as well and must be kept in check.

A Philoptochos woman has a lot to balance – family, career, volunteering, planning, serving, just to name a few. I know each of you has found yourself up late at night baking, putting final details in place for an event or responding to emails. There are many strategies for managing stress, and it is important to choose one that speaks to you. Consider exercise, meditation, music, and prayer. Pausing to acknowledge the present moment and expressing gratitude to God is always a great idea, and it can serve your health as well!

4. Love & Support

We don’t often remember the power of community in maintaining our health or reversing heart disease. Dr. Ornish has found this “connectedness” to be an integral part of treating and reversing heart disease.

You invite. You welcome. You link yourself to other women in Philoptochos and strengthen those bonds with time, trust, and shared experiences. Next time you find yourself preparing a room for an event or sitting around a table in planning, let the love you feel for the women around you fill your heart – and make you healthy at the same time!

Maybe I should start writing this prescription to my patients who are concerned about heart disease: “Join Philoptochos!”
-Denise Millstine, MD

Autism Awareness – An Interview with Steve Mulvoy

Our guest blogger this week is one of our National Board members, Barbara Orlando, from Massachusetts. She is on the National Philoptochos Autism Assistance Fund Committee and wants to make a difference by spreading awareness of autism and by doing so, alerting all of the support available locally and nationally and the support we must all give to individuals and families who face an autism diagnosis. Barbara recently interviewed one of her parishioners with autism, here is his story, told by Barbara:

Paul Bobotas, Steve Mulvoy, Barbara Orlando, and George Stavros
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Steve Mulvoy, a fellow Parishioner at Saint Gregory the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church in Mansfield, MA. We spoke at length about his condition known as Asperger’s syndrome*.

Steve’s mother noticed certain behaviors when Steve was about four years old that caused her enough concern to bring him to a neurologist for testing. The testing confirmed his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome.

Steve resides in Medfield, MA with his father, Thomas, and his brothers. Steve was very open about his Asperger’s. He told me to please “Ask him anything.” He reflected on his younger years and said that he had a tendency to isolate himself, especially in grade school. Steve credits his late mother for helping him attend the “Learning Prep” School in Newton, Ma. She advocated for him every step of the way. She would not give up on helping Steve attain the proper educational placement. She met with the local superintendent of schools and insisted that Steve be given the opportunity to attend “Learning Prep.”

Steve said that in middle school he began to have a few friends who shared the same background as himself. Steve mentioned that he was an excellent speller in school and won all the spelling bees. In high school he attained all A’s and B’s. Steve said that he would not have done so well had it not been for the small classroom sizes of no more than ten students.

Steve went on to attend Mount Ida College in Newton and received a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts in May of 2011. He works part-time assisting a neighbor in their office, keeping things organized and tying up loose ends. Steve also is very active in Church, teaching Sunday school, helping out with both third and fourth grade classes and high school.

He is a wonderful young man and was a pleasure to speak to. Steve is a beautiful example of how Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t hold a person back. People with Asperger’s syndrome experience difficulties in the area of social imagination, communication and interaction.

People with Asperger’s syndrome face varying degrees of difficulty, as individuals, they have different strengths and needs. There is great support available through organizations as well as the local community.

Here are a few resources for individuals and families faced with an autism diagnosis who would like more information or support:

  • The May Institute is a school for Autistic children, founded on Cape Cod in 1955. It now has 165 programs located nationwide. http://www.mayinstitute.org/ 

  • The American Autism Association's website contains a variety of information, a blog, recent updates on research and links for all ages from young children to adults.  http://www.myautism.org/

  • The National Autism Association is an excellent resource that also offers a blog, information on wandering and safety, many contacts for information, and a place for parents and loved ones to express their concerns. http://nationalautismassociation.org/

- Barbara Orlando



* The diagnosis of Asperger's was eliminated in the 2013 fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)  and replaced by a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder on a severity scale.

Ovarian Cancer - Facts All Women Should Know



"This is an important initiative for us, as a women's organization, to undertake. Simply put, awareness about ovarian cancer will save lives - that is our goal."
-National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas 

 In the September/October issue of the Philanthropy Witness we announced a grant that was awarded to National Philoptochos from the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation towards disseminating bilingual information about the risks and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Philoptochos efforts were to focus on reaching out to women and their families who are unwilling or unable to access mainstream services due to language and/or cultural barriers.

 Paulette Geanacopoulous, National Philoptochos' Director of Social Work, who wrote the proposal and the Ovarian Cancer Fact Sheets in Greek and English said, "Unlike other gender-based cancers, there is no one reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer. Consequently, we must know and recognize its symptoms so that we can act quickly and appropriately."
Is it an ovarian cyst or ovarian cancer?

Is it an abdominal condition or ovarian cancer?

Is it constipation or ovarian cancer?
OVARIAN CANCER is a deadly disease that kills more women than all other reproductive cancers combined. Because it is hard to detect - there is no one reliable test to identify it - and as some of its symptoms are similar to other conditions, it is important to recognize it signs so that we can act quickly and appropriately. As a women's organization, it is equally important for us to "get the word out" - to our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, to our daughters, neighbors, and friends so that they know what to look for. To help you do so, we have prepared an "Ovarian Cancer Fact Sheet" - both in Greek and in English.


We urge you to take one or more of the actions to broadly distribute these Fact Sheets throughout your Chapter, Parish and community-at-large:

  • Ask your priest to include both in your Sunday Bulletin
  • Distribute copies to the organizations in your Church, including the Parish Council, GOYA, Greek and Sunday Schools, parent organizations, senior citizen groups, etc.
  • Post both Fact Sheets in the women's rooms of your Church.
  • Place both Fact Sheets in a public area of your Church. 
  • Ask a local newspaper to publish the Fact Sheets and ask the local "health editor" to write an article on ovarian cancer.
  • Invite a gynecological oncologist from a local hospital or cancer society to one of your general meetings to give a presentation on ovarian cancer.
  • Use your imagination - what else works in your community to get the word out?


The Fight Against Human Trafficking in 2014

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that subjects children, women and men by force, fraud or coercion into commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. It is estimated that there are 27 million people in slavery today, 5.5 million are children. While human trafficking is a worldwide problem, it is necessary to understand that this also means it is prevalent in the United States. Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states. The U.S. Department of Justice states that there are between 100,000 and 150,000 sex workers enslaved in the U.S. The average starting age of a slave is 12, although many are younger.

Human Trafficking is such a pressing issue that the President of the United States established an Advisory Council on Human Trafficking of which Archbishop Demetrios of America is an appointed member. 

The Philoptochos Society donated $20,000 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for the direct purpose of ending child trafficking and continue to work hard to increase awareness nationwide. 

What can you do?
  • We encourage you and your fellow Chapter stewards to tune in tomorrow, Friday, January 10 at 1 pm EST to hear a panel discussion, “What does 2014 hold for the fight against human trafficking” featuring UNICEF’s Susan Bissell, The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and panelists from International Justice Mission, Not For Sale, and Somaly Mam Foundation.
          To tune in, click on this link: http://uncf.us/1ghu80P
  • Post the National Human Trafficking Hotline number, 1-888-373-7888, in your Church and other places you frequent like the post office. Callers can report potential cases, get help, or request information and training and it is 100% confidential. 
  • Host a panel discussion of your own. Speakers can include local experts, a professor knowledgeable on the subject of human trafficking, a member of law enforcement, or a survivor of trafficking.

Let’s all work together to raise awareness until there are zero children, women and men who are the victims of human trafficking.


-Vivian Siempos



What will your Chapter do in the New Year?

The Saint Sophia Cathedral Philoptochos Chapter in Los Angeles has been very busy as they begin their year with a philanthropic project that aids women and children affected by domestic violence. 

For the last two years the Philoptochos Chapter adopted the Domestic Violence Agency as one of the organizations they would help on an ongoing basis. This winter they collected brand new blankets for the Agency’s safe houses where women and children take shelter from abusive husbands, boyfriends and fathers.  The Philoptochos women either hand-made blankets or received donations of new blankets to give to the women and children living in the shelter. The staff members at the Domestic Violence Agency were overjoyed when President Virginia Noyes delivered more than 80 new blankets to them.  They invited President Noyes to attend some of their meetings and find out more about how Philoptochos can help further.

“Our work never ends as Philoptochos stewards, we continue to help those who are on hard times, sick or trying to survive on social security,” Chapter President Virginia Noyes said of the Philoptochos mission.

The new year brings with it a euphoria of hope for many, a fresh canvas for which we can paint a new picture. It is a time to reflect on ourselves and our lives and see how we can give more of ourselves to those who need our help the most. Let’s all recommit ourselves to the Philoptochos mission, giving love and hope to those who may have very little of either. What will your picture look like in 2014?



-Vivian Siempos

Easing the Financial Burden of Families

The Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital provides over 650,000 outpatient visits, 17,000 hospital admissions, 10,000 surgeries, and accepts over 1,400 hospital transfers per year. Their website states, “At Cleveland Clinic Children’s, we put kids and families first. Because we understand that children and their parents deserve – and in fact, require – an extra dose of compassion.”

The National Philoptochos Society awarded Cleveland Clinic’s “Caring for Kids – Support for families of children with blood disorders and cancer” program a $20,000 grant at the National Philoptochos Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon on October 12, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA.

As Alex Calabrese from Cleveland Clinic explains, “The need for the ‘Caring for Kids- Support for families of children with blood disorders and cancer program has always been present, but was recognized and moved into action by a Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Operating Room Service Assistant. One of her dear friends had a child who was hospitalized here at Cleveland Clinic Children's for a blood disorder. Through that experience she realized the added financial burdens that arise with having a child in the hospital, expenses such as parking, child care for siblings, and other day to day needs which add up quite quickly when you are coming to the hospital day after day to be with your child. The idea of the fund is to support the families of these patients and ease some of the hardship that an illness places upon a family. The fund pays for meals, parking and other transportation needs, hotel vouchers, gas cards, etc. It helps hundreds of families who travel far and wide to bring their children to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hematology/Oncology/BMT department that need assistance to pay for hospital stay related out of pocket expenses.”

One of the many things the program helps with is providing parking passes so parents have one last expense to think about when they are making multiple visits per week. As one family stated, “We need to come for at least three appointments a week. There is no way I can come up with that kind of money. The parking passes really help.”  The program offers one less thing that parents must think about so they can focus on their children’s treatment and not on how they are going to pay the bills.  

“The financial burden of childhood cancer and the profound emotional stressors that are associated with this diagnosis can stretch families beyond their limits. The economic hardship that this diagnosis brings can have long-term effects on the entire family unit regarding their quality of life. With help from generous donors, such as Philoptochos, our family’s financial burden can be reduced. It truly takes a ‘village’ to help a family in need,” said Denise K. Hagen, MSSA, C-SWHC, LISW-S, from Cleveland Clinic’s Social Work/Care Management Department.


-Vivian Siempos

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