Gold Coast AHEPA Chapter 456 Holds Annual Christmas Gathering, Supports Agape Meals for Kids

MANHASSET, NY – The Gold Coast AHEPA Chapter 456 held its Christmas Gathering on December 14 at Kyma in Roslyn, NY. The chapter thanked everyone for attended including AHEPA District 6 Governor Dean Moskos and Region 3 Supreme Governor Ted Stamas.

'We hope that everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the season together as a community,' the chapter said in statement via email. 'Congratulations to Perry Cyprus for being recognized for his commitment to AHEPA and Chapter 456. He has been a driving force behind the chapter's operations for many years. He is a continuous golf outing committee member and he founded the annual raffle fundraising project. He has also dedicated many years to the holiday parties, membership, monthly meetings and general brotherhood of AHEPA.'

'Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this another successful year for our raffle,' the chapter continued. 'We had an amazing number of tickets purchased at the holiday gathering resulting in a complete sell out of 250 tickets! The drawing was suspense filled and everyone had good fun for a good cause. We look forward to next year's raffle and your participation!'

'This Holiday Season we have made financial commitments to St. Michael's Home, Ronald McDonald House New York, Blind Organization in Greece, Thanksgiving at St. Paraskevi Church, Agape Program, Alzheimer's Organization, City Harvest, Special Need Homes, and The Challenge Liturgy Ministry at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church,' the chapter statement concluded.

Gold Coast AHEPA Chapter 456 held its Christmas Gathering on December 14 and honored Perry Cyprus. Photo: Courtesy of AHEPA

Gold Coast AHEPA Chapter 456 Supports Agape Meals for Kids

MOUNT SINAI, NY – Agape Meals for Kids, a 501(c)(3) charity devoted to feeding hungry children on Long Island, is appealing to individuals and businesses alike to donate to the cause and make a difference in students' lives. Today on Long Island, more than 70,000 youth are ‘food insecure' – meaning they lack consistent access to food at home. While these children receive nutritional assistance at school during the week, they often do not reliably eat on the weekends. To bridge this gap, Agape Meals for Kids sends students home with backpacks filled with pre-packaged meals for the weekend.

Gold Coast AHEPA Chapter 456 based at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Port Washington, NY participated in this charity. They have recently begun philanthropic activities for the community including St. Michael's Home in Yonkers, Greek Division of the Ronald McDonald House in New York City, American Friends of the Blind in Greece, The Holiday Spirit Program of St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church in Greenlawn, Alzheimer's Research Group of Long Island, and City Harvest, among others.

An example of meals that go home with the children on the weekends from Agape Meals for Kids. Photo: Courtesy of AHEPA

Many children who qualify for school meals during the week will go home Friday perhaps 'to empty cupboards and fridges,' said Founder and Executive Director Irene Michalos. 'Some of these children go 72 hours without a meal. That's the time between their lunch on Friday and breakfast on Monday. So, providing backpacks for them on Friday afternoon is one of the best ways to confront this period of hunger.'

Every Friday, Agape Meals for Kids provides backpacks to school children containing enough easy-to-prepare food to last them the entire weekend. In addition to the nutritional value, there is a 'psychological benefit in that these kids don't have to worry about where and when they are going to eat next, and in knowing that they are cared for,' Michalos added.

The backpacks from Agape Meals for Kids are discretely filled with food for the children. Photo: Courtesy of AHEPA

Agape Meals for Kids donations at a supermarket. Photo: Courtesy of AHEPA