The fundraising goal of $500,000 for the Special Relief and Relief Fund for those affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which was recommended by the Archdiocese of America on February 8, was set by the Archbishop of America Promising.

As he noted, “the funds will be allocated both to meet the immediate and pressing needs of our hard-pressed fellow human beings and to deal with the long-term consequences of the catastrophic earthquakes».

“THE Archdiocese of America“, he added, “it is, after all, from the first moment in constant cooperation with the International Orthodox Christian Charitable Organizations, (IOCC), in order to utilize the most effective mechanisms for the distribution of aid. These Organizations are an old, tested and highly reliable partner and have proven time and again that they rationally manage the humanitarian aid offered in such cases”.

Archbishop Elpidophoros emphasized, in fact, that “these Organizations will offer the Archdiocese of America both their accounting know-how and their experience in the field, in order to ensure the effective distribution of the funds that will be collected in the Fund”.

Already, the Greek-American community is united Homogeneitythe parishes of the Archdiocese of America and the faithful are actively responding to the appeal for help addressed by Archbishop Elpidophoros.

The Lords of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, have already decided to donate $50,000 to the Fund, saying they are shocked by the scale of the disaster and grateful to God for being able to provide this relief to those affected. As the national commander of the Order, Dr. Antonios Lymberakis, stated, “the warm prayers of all of us are for those who are grieving and suffering.” In addition, the National Philanthropic Fraternity has also decided to immediately contribute $50,000 to the Fund, simultaneously launching a new fundraising campaign through its 437 chapters in the United States of America. As stated by the national president of the Philanthropic Brotherhood, which is the charitable arm of the Archdiocese of America, Arlene Siadeli-Kell, “Our fellow human beings in Turkey and Syria need our love and our wholehearted support at this time of their great trial, as well as our prayers”.

Also, the “Archbishop Iakovos” Fund of the Leadership of 100 declared its commitment to immediately strengthen the Fund, while the vice-president of the Archbishop’s Council, John Katsimatidis, committed to pay the amount of 50,000 dollars as a donation to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in order to distributed to the affected.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can donate online at https://www.goarch.org/earthguake or mail a check to the offices of the Archdiocese of America located at 8 E. 79th St., New York , NY 10075, marked “For the Earthquake Relief Fund.”