Archdiocese Offers Additional Assistance to Families in Greece

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced today a grant of $150,000 to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) to assist in providing emergency assistance for the people of Greece who are especially vulnerable as a result of the continuing economic crisis, austerity measures and a collapsing health system. Read More

Florida High School Girl Starts Charity to Aid Greece’s Suffering

Elizabeth Bartzokis with a collection of food that is to be sent to Greece.
© Photo courtesy of Fr. Mark Leondis

BOCA RATON, Fla. – A 16-year-old high school girl and member of St. Mark’s parish recently undertook a project to prepare and send care packages for impoverished families in Greece.

In 2014, Elizabeth Bartzokis founded her volunteer organization HFN (Hellenic Families in Need) to solicit donations of food and medicines to send to Greece.

In a Feb. 3 interview with the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel newspaper, Elizabeth discussed how an encounter with a hungry beggar at a coffee shop in Saronida, Greece, last summer prompted her to take action.

In that interview she recalled that she gave her meal to the beggar, who was about her age. She vowed to return and help with the recovery. After discussing the situation with her family, she started HFN and raised $2,100 through GoFundMe.com.

Elizabeth researched charities that aided the hungry and connected with a small charity in Saronida where she has rela- tives, and which will receive the money she collects. Her goal for this summer was to bring $5,000 to the small assistance group that feeds the hungry, but has reached more than $6,000 thus far.

She also contacted butchers, grocers, and pharmacists to make lists of foods and medicine to be given to the most impover- ished families and delivered these supplies. Many families had lost their jobs and were on the brink of starvation.

Elizabeth met with the mayor and vice mayor of Saronikos and priests of Anavissos at the soup kitchens, and received a certificate of appreciation.

“I am still in shock at how many people HFN helped and am sincerely touched by their gratitude. It was not only me who helped, but it was all of us together in America who recognized that Greece needs assistance,” said. She plans to continue volunteering and growing Hellenic Families In Need throughout the South Florida and beyond. The Fort Lauderdale newspaper also spoke with Fr. Mark Leondis, pastor of St. March Church, who stated that “Many Americans have little knowledge of the depth of suffering in Greece. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has been providing assistance, including a recent delivery of hygiene kits from the region that includes St. Mark. “Soup kitchens that fed 500 are now feeding 5,000,” Leondis said. “Everyone hears about an economic crisis in Greece but I don’t think they have any idea how bad it is.”

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