Last Night's Soup Run

by Despina Kartson

Our guests were lined up and awaiting our arrival for last night’s soup run in Manhattan. They helped us set up tables and cleared a path on the sidewalk. There was an energy in the air that made for an enthusiastic crowd, anxious to see what we had to offer them.

We distributed more than 100 turkey sandwiches, snacks and lots of bottles of water- for which our guests were particularly appreciative on a hot summer night. While they liked the sandwiches, one guest asked when we were serving the lemon chicken for which we have become "famous"!

We distributed socks, always the number one requested item, men’s and women’s underwear, shirts, shoes and toiletry kits. It may have been a record night for speedy distribution - all clothing was gone within 20 minutes.

As we never know what to expect or what item we might be able to provide to our guests that is just a bit extra special, last night was no different. A gentleman lost his sunglasses during the soup run and was upset because he has a light sensitivity issue and needs to wear sunglasses to diffuse the light. As we were packing up to leave and heard the story of the lost glasses, one of our volunteers looked in their trunk where they had a number of supplies and found a brand new pair of sunglasses. When they gave them to the man in need, he was absolutely stunned, shook hands while expressing gratitude and left us saying “I will never forget you guys”. He was one of the many who thanked us and was happy to talk and share stories of the day.

We enjoyed the company of many volunteers including our friends from Prophet Elias in Yonkers, business colleagues from Manhattan and Brooklyn, and neighbors.

Our front-facing and behind the scenes volunteers, supporters and sponsors make the monthly soup run possible. Thank you to Joanne Jackson for sponsoring last night’s soup run, Minos Samoladas for his donation which has enabled us to purchase clothing throughout the year, Manny Louros for making the sandwiches, and the many other caring souls who donated new and gently used items. We could never fulfill this important ministry without these committed individuals and we sincerely thank them for their unwavering support. We are accepting donations of socks, t-shirts, boxers, women's underwear, toiletries, canvas bags/tote bags/backpacks and baseball caps.

Please join next month’s soup run on September 27. Happy Labor Day!

Beheading of the Holy and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

The divine Baptist, the Prophet born of a Prophet, the seal of all the Prophets and beginning of the Apostles, the mediator between the Old and New Covenants, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the God-sent Messenger of the incarnate Messiah, the forerunner of Christ's coming into the world (Esaias 40: 3; Mal. 3: 1); who by many miracles was both conceived and born; who was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb; who came forth like another Elias the Zealot, whose life in the wilderness and divine zeal for God's Law he imitated: this divine Prophet, after he had preached the baptism of repentance according to God's command; had taught men of low rank and high how they must order their lives; had admonished those whom he baptized and had filled them with the fear of God, teaching them that no one is able to escape the wrath to come if he do not works worthy of repentance; had, through such preaching, prepared their hearts to receive the evangelical teachings of the Savior; and finally, after he had pointed out to the people the very Savior, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world" (Luke 3:2-18; John 1: 29-36), after all this, John sealed with his own blood the truth of his words and was made a sacred victim for the divine Law at the hands of a transgressor.

This was Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, the son of Herod the Great. This man had a lawful wife, the daughter of Arethas (or Aretas), the King of Arabia (that is, Arabia Petraea, which had the famous Nabatean stone city of Petra as its capital. This is the Aretas mentioned by Saint Paul in II Cor. 11:32). Without any cause, and against every commandment of the Law, he put her away and took to himself Herodias, the wife of his deceased brother Philip, to whom Herodias had borne a daughter, Salome. He would not desist from this unlawful union even when John, the preacher of repentance, the bold and austere accuser of the lawless, censured him and told him, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6: 18). Thus Herod, besides his other unholy acts, added yet this, that he apprehended John and shut him in prison; and perhaps he would have killed him straightway, had he not feared the people, who had extreme reverence for John. Certainly, in the beginning, he himself had great reverence for this just and holy man. But finally, being pierced with the sting of a mad lust for the woman Herodias, he laid his defiled hands on the teacher of purity on the very day he was celebrating his birthday. When Salome, Herodias' daughter, had danced in order to please him and those who were supping with him, he promised her -- with an oath more foolish than any foolishness -- that he would give her anything she asked, even unto the half of his kingdom. And she, consulting with her mother, straightway asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger. Hence this transgressor of the Law, preferring his lawless oath above the precepts of the Law, fulfilled this godless promise and filled his loathsome banquet with the blood of the Prophet. So it was that that all-venerable head, revered by the Angels, was given as a prize for an abominable dance, and became the plaything of the dissolute daughter of a debauched mother. As for the body of the divine Baptist, it was taken up by his disciples and placed in a tomb (Mark 6: 21 - 29).

Sunday Highlights

Χρόνια Πολλά on the Feast Day of Saint Phanourios - patron saint for all lost things. Yesterday, several parishioners prepared phanropites on the occasion of the feast day, and Fr. Nick read prayers and explained the tradition. In addition, birthday wishes were extended on behalf of the community to Diane Romeo - who celebrated her 97th birthday!

Happy Birthday Fr. Nick!

On the occasion of his 60th birthday, the Holy Trinity family wishes Fr. Nick a heartfelt Χρόνια Πολλά - many years! May God grant him continued good health and happiness! Happy Birthday Father Nick! 

Sunday Highlights

Paraklisis prayers were chanted today at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on the last Sunday before the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15th.

Welcome Savannah and McHenry!

Savannah Maria Forehand and McHenry Peter Forehand were confirmed into the Orthodox faith this morning during the Divine Liturgy. They are pictured here with Fr. Nick, their respective godparents and Deacon Patrick.

Festival Baking 2018!!

Festival volunteers gathered today to package kourambiethes - delicious Greek cookies - as the countdown to our 2018 Greek Festival is underway! SEPTEMBER 6. - 9!

Last Night’s Soup Run

by Despina Kartson

The weather was perfect, the crowd was plentiful and our volunteers were happy to serve our guests on 33rd Street in Manhattan during last night's soup run. We distributed turkey sandwiches, chips, fruit, lots of cold water, juice and coffee. We also gave out clothing items including socks, men's and women's underwear, shirts and toiletry kits. While we thought we had a large supply of clothing, it seemed to be distributed in record time last night.

Arriving at our spot and unloading our cars, we were immediately assisted by one of our guests who helped us unfold the tables. As we greeted our guests, who were lined up on the sidewalk, we asked them to wait a few minutes longer while we set up the food and clothing. They smiled, told us they were happy to wait and that they had been there for some time, anticipating our arrival.

We talked with Wendy, one of our recent regulars, who was splitting half of the food and toiletries we had given her into another bag so that she could take them to a woman who sleeps on the steps of Church of St. Francis of Assisi nearby. We gladly gave Wendy more food and toiletries to take to the woman. Wendy said she is not homeless - she sleeps in her sister's living room after losing her job and apartment. She doesn't have enough money for food and is happy to be able to sleep indoors. There are different definitions of "homeless" - how many of us would not consider ourselves homeless if we slept in someone's living room?

We never know what we might encounter during our monthly soup run and often something unexpected happens. Last night, one of our volunteers, Arturo, went into the bathroom at a nearby restaurant. He found an elderly man on the floor, bleeding while another man went about his business seemingly oblivious to the injured man. Arturo called 911 and waited for EMS to arrive.

Our monthly outreach is made possible through the compassion of so many supporters and volunteers. Thank you to Jim and Patricia Mikelis for sponsoring last night's soup run and to the many volunteers who give so generously of their time, talent and treasures: Manny Louros and Zachary Karounos for preparing the sandwiches, Georgeann Mavrovitis for preparing bins of toiletry kits, Kathleen Haverlack Wasser for donating women's toiletry sets, Tammy Mangan for bananas, and Constance Mavrovitis and Cynthia Herzegovitch for organizing the clothing bins.

When we reminded one of our guests that we would be back on August 30th, he told us that was a good day for him because his government check will arrive on August 31st and by the end of the month, he will be out of money and unable to buy food. This is why our soup run is at the end of every month - those who receive a government check stretch it as much as they can but the money rarely lasts all month. Donations of socks, underwear, summer clothing, toiletries (save hotel shampoo and soap from your summer vacations!) backpacks/tote bags and re-usable grocery bags are always needed. Please join us on August 30th.