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Published by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
September 12, 2005
HOUSTON ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO HURRICANE
SURVIVORS |
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September 12,
2005
Houston, Texas (IOCC) – Orthodox Christians in
Texas have worked tirelessly since Hurricane
Katrina struck the Gulf Coast to deliver
emergency supplies, welcome those displaced from
neighboring states and partner with
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)
to provide relief to the region.
“The devastating hurricane which has ravaged the
Gulf Coast states of our country… is a reminder
to all of us that tragedies in the world are
dramatically increasing and that one’s life can
be taken in the twinkling of an eye,” wrote
Metropolitan Isaiah of the Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of Denver in a letter to parishes
encouraging them to respond through IOCC.
Orthodox parishes in the Metropolis of Denver
and throughout the United States have collected
funds for the effort and prepared health kits
for the hundreds of thousands of people forced
to flee the devastated region.
Just days after the hurricane, when people were
retreating from New Orleans, Leon Vezos
organized a shipment of emergency items and
headed to Baton Rouge, La. After loading a truck
with water and Gatorade over the Labor Day
holiday weekend, Vezos personally drove the
supplies which were distributed to rural
communities in and around Alexandria, La.
Fr. Gabriel Karambis, Dean of the Greek Orthodox
Cathedral of the Annunciation, where Vezos is a
member, has encouraged Orthodox Christians in
the community to join in the effort and made
available the resources of his parish. Orthodox
Christians throughout the city have worked to
prepare additional supplies for transfer to
Baton Rouge, La. The effort resulted in
truckload of urgently-needed diapers, water,
Gatorade, clothes and health kits.
Houston, along with Baton Rouge, La. and Mobile,
Ala., has become a center for IOCC operations
where staff from its Emergency Response Network
is coordinating aid to survivors of the
disaster.
The IOCC Emergency Response Center in Houston is
hosted by St. George Antiochian Church, which is
providing office, storage space, and
accommodations for the IOCC staff.
IOCC’s emergency response network, comprised of
trained Orthodox clergy and their U.S. parish
communities, provides emergency services to
people struggling to recover from natural or
man-made disasters.
Contributions to IOCC’s Hurricane Disaster
Response Fund may be sent to IOCC, “Hurricane
Relief,” P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, MD
21263-0225. Donations may also be made online at
www.iocc.org or by calling toll-free
1-877-803-IOCC (4622).
Founded in 1992, IOCC is the official
humanitarian aid agency of the Standing
Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the
Americas (SCOBA)
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