On the morning of October 5th, 2024, 85 members of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Newport News, Virginia came together for a community service project to assemble and package 10,000 servings of food as part of the church’s 75th Anniversary.
The idea for a community service project was discussed during the initial planning for the church’s 75th Anniversary. The planning committee looked to widen the celebration beyond just a dinner and wanted to explore mission and outreach opportunities that would involve a wide cross section of our community to work together to collectively make an impact. Deacon Noah Hendricks shared his experiences participating in a food packaging event with the planning committee chairman, John Dermanis, who in turn shared the idea with the Parish Council. The Parish Council enthusiastically supported the idea and asked that the parish move forward with planning and organizing the event.
The parish community partnered with The Outreach Project, a national non-profit whose mission is to provide safe water and food to those in need. They assisted in ordering the food, working through some of the planning details, and setting up the assembly line tables on the day of the event. During the event, volunteers from the community were organized in 10 to 12-person teams who measured out food portions, weighed and sealed the packages, and boxed up meals that were donated to the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank. In the end, every single volunteer worked together to accomplish our goal of packing 10,000 servings.
After the event, several members of the Sts. Constantine and Helen community expressed interest in making this an annual event. By doing so, they will further enhance our mission and outreach ministry, which is already making a difference through weekly Feed the Hungry food bank donation collections, clothing collections for veterans, preparations of book bags for school children, and hosting a week-long winter shelter as part of a local faith-based outreach program that provides warm meals and shelter during the cold winter months.
Photos: Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Newport News, Virginia.
