JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – St. John the Divine Church is located just over a bridge from the city’s downtown. But its parishioners come from all over northeast Florida making quite an impact on one of the parish’s newest ministries, Handmade for the “Homeless. Handmade for the Homeless,” spearheaded by parishioner Stacy Kokkinos, is a Philoptochos outreach program where women make handmade fleece scarves for the homeless and those in need throughout the city of Jacksonville. Parishioners pick up homeless kits which include the Handmade for the Homeless scarves and share them with the city’s homeless population.

The women have made more than 200 scarves and continue to prepare for the fall and winter seasons and rely completely on donations.

The scarves are just a part of the homeless kits the entire parish organizes which include basic necessities such as water, food and hygienic items.

“We all have the ability to share the light of Christ if we allow Him to work through us,” said Ms. Kokkinos, Handmade for the Homeless chairman.

The scarves are handmade and then prayed over by the parish priests, the Rev. Dr. Nicholas Louh and Rev. Dr. Milton Magos. “Recently, one gentleman who was deaf, signed ‘I love you” upon receiving one of our kits,” said Kokkinos.

Kokkinos will share details of the ministry with the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) in May. Details about the ministry at www.facebook.com/handmadeforthehomeless/?ref=br_rs and information about St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church can be found on www.stjohnthedivine.com