August
Dear philoptochos Members,
I have to begin by saying how very impressed, inspired and indebted I am by the selfless commitment and devotion I have seen this year conducted by the membership of our Philptochos for the greater good of our community. Your hard work can only be measured by the countless hours you’ve worked to plan and implement our projects as well as the number of times you’ve cared for sore feet at the end of the day. Our members are remarkable. I thank each of you sincerely for all you have done, and all you continue to do.
This issue will be heavy in photography. We have had some great successes this spring; our Pascha Bake Sale, Palm Sunday Luncheon and Mother’s Day Event gave us the opportunity to highlight the joy we foster in our community. As pictures speak louder than words, I will let them tell the story. Please feel free to move and save any images you’d like to keep to your desktop, or email me if you’re having trouble doing that, and I will email the photos you want to keep to you.
annual membership stewardship renewal
We are grateful and thrilled to report that we currently have 140 members, 16 of which are brand new! Welcome to our very loyal renewal members and to our first time members, as well! We will be hosting an orientation for our new members in September before our fall calendar heats up, so that you are fully apprised of our projects and events. We realize that moms with young children and those working full time might not always be able to participate in the planning and implementation of our projects and events, but we welcome you whenever you are able to attend an event or contribute to a program. Please know you can refer someone in need to us, and that we are always interested in your views. We appreciate that everyone takes a few minutes to read the newsletter each month and keeps up with what we are doing throughout the year. In the future please invite any peer to join us by clicking on our membership link or sending their commitment to Philoptochos, Assumption Cathedral, 4610 E Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80246. A full roster of this year’s members is available in the Members Section of this website for your review. We are each so important to the strength of our organization, as each of us brings something unique to the group. Thank you all for making us strong and vital in 2024!
children’s hospital visiting physicians
It’s a pleasure to let you know that the program at Children’s Hospital providing corrective surgery to young patients from Greece has expanded to provide training for the Greek physicians that are ultimately responsible for their patients’ care. We were very fortunate to be represented by Elaine Kusulus, Liberty Matzakos, Georgia Christopher, and Dianne Sweeney when visits to Denver occur. This spring, we welcomed Dr. Xara and Dr. Dimitri to Denver for their training. They enjoyed their time with us as much as we enjoyed hosting them! We are grateful to the doctors at Children’s Hospital for the time and attention they afford these young physicians.
LUNCH IN THE PARK
Many thanks to Janice Thomas for her continued oversight of this wonderful endeavor, and to her loyal support team of Celeste Lee, Liberty Matzakos and Patrice Dovas-Hudson. We will resume our activity in this project in the fall, convening again on September 23rd to prepare our next meal. We’ve noted that new members expressed interest in supporting this project, and we will reach out to you with details for assistance beforehand. Thank you all.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Our social services committee continues to support the members of our community when needs arise. We are always here to help. Please be sure to let others know of our availability to aid when difficult circumstances arise. Every request is kept private, and we employ great respect and compassion throughout the aid process.
PASCHA BAKE SALE
Our Pascha Bake Sale was a huge success thanks to the stellar organizing skill of Mary Athanites. Thank you Mary for making such a huge undertaking seamless in its planning and implementation. We also must thank our wonderful bakers, Panayota Anadiotis, Joanne Adrahtas, Maureen Athanasopoulos, Despina Balafas, Ann Charchalis, Aleka Damarelos, Angie Demos, Dora Demos, Patrice Dovas-Hudson, Charissa Gianos, Faith Ioannides, Katina Kapantas, Klea Kappos, Phyllis Kennebeck, Dena Kitsos, Celeste Lee, Cathy & George Locallo, Elaine McCoy, Olga Marlangoutsos, Sotiria Marlangoutsos, Liberty Matzakos, Kalomira Pantozopoulos, Stellee Papadeas, Kathy Papadimitropoulos, and Jane Vlahos. Also, special thanks to Teresa Katopodes for dying all of our red eggs! We appreciate every hour you all spent making Pascha a delicious time for all of us, and thanks to all that stayed to package the goods. We had a wonderful sales crew at the table that assured we sold out of every last koulouraki. Thanks to Mitisi Andrews, Mary Athanites, Klea Kappos, Niki Mott and Celeste Lee for their warm customer service!
PALM SUNDAY LUNCHEON
The Palm Sunday Luncheon was attended by 175 high spirited parishioners that made for an enjoyable feast. Luke Loukas prepared our traditional plaki luncheon to rave reviews. It was a lovely day for families and friends. We thank Father Jordan for establishing this lovely tradition for our Cathedral family and look forward to hosting it in the years to come. Thank you also to Nikki Phillips for her planning skill and to Elaine McCoy for making the room lovely, as always, along with her team, Liz Contos, Angie Demos, Vicky Kalasountas, Cathy Locallo, Joann Meras, Stellee Papadeas and Nikki Phillips. The event also served as a fundraiser for the good works of Philoptochos. The result helped to assure that our chapter had adequate funds to meet the budget we have set in support of our community. Thanks to everyone that supported us this year! We are grateful.
MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION Brunch
Each year, for Mother’s Day, Philoptochos seeks out a few women in our parish that not only exemplify the values of Greek motherhood, but also have a gift to nurture beyond the scope of their own families and provide support and care to their community. We are blessed as a community to have so many such women, and it is our honor each year to focus on the extraordinary achievements of a few.
This year our honorees are Panayota Anadiotis and Diakonissa Claire Zinis, two extraordinary women who have selflessly served our parish with great love and skill. It was an honor to host them and to be a part of the beautiful testaments their families had for the deep influences they have had on their families’ lives. Thank you to all of their children and grandchildren for sharing these wonderful women with us. We know how much you love them and we want you to know that we love them too.
Special thanks to George Locallo for making these wonderful portraits possible. Please feel free to click and move the images you like to your desktop where you can then keep and print them as you wish. Also heartfelt thanks to the organizing committee of this event featured in the final photo.
launch of 2nd edition - festival of greek flavors cookbook
We are eagerly anticipating the delivery of the second edition of our Festival of Greek Flavors Cookbook. We will celebrate this special event in our chapter’s history with a festive launch of the second edition during the Denver Greek Festival on June 7, 8 & 9. Please plan to stop by our table in the upper lobby of the community center to take a look at the new book and browse it for the new and updated recipes now included and raise a toast to its success!
Denver Greek Festival wine & cheese booth
Fine Greek wines and cheeses will be available for purchase during the Denver Greek Festival, June 7, 8 & 9 at our booth, benefitting Philoptochos in the upper lobby of the community center. Please encourage your friends and family to seek us out during their visit to the festival for a refreshing drink and bite to eat. We will also have the new edition of our cookbook for sale!
have a safe and relaxing summer!
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17th at 6:00 PM in the Annunciation Room. See you all then!
