Charity Report – 2024

2024 Charity Summary
Our Parish made a meaningful impact in 2024, supporting those in need both within our local community and in India. We are deeply grateful to Fr. Teji Abraham for his spiritual guidance and support, as well as to our Parish family for their dedication of time and financial contributions. Here is a summary of our activities:

Women’s Shelter Monthly Dinner Donors
For the past 10 years, our parish has partnered with this shelter. Volunteers have faithfully provided dinner each month for women and children residing there. The shelter offers temporary housing for up to 30 women and children, providing a safe and supportive environment.

Center for FarmWorker Families
This non-profit organization supports farmworker families in the Watsonville area, many of whom face challenges in meeting basic needs such as food and clothing. This year, we delivered a total of 9,240 pounds of food (rice, beans, corn flour), and 208 bottles of cooking oil for distribution. This is the fifth consecutive year of our support for this organization.

St. Gregoriose Orthodox Scholarship Award
This award provides $1,000 scholarships to college-bound students facing significant hardships. Recipients demonstrate exceptional diligence, perseverance, and financial need. In 2024, we increased the number of recipients to 12 (6 each from Arroyo and San Lorenzo High Schools), up from 8 in previous years. Now in its seventh year, this program continues to empower students to achieve their educational goals.

School Backpacks
Since 2016, our parish has supported underprivileged children in the Hayward, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro school districts by donating 500 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, which our Sunday School children helped pack into each backpack.

Christmas Meal Donation – Homeless Encampments (San Jose)
For the fifth consecutive year, our parish sponsored a meal for 200 homeless individuals in San Jose. Individually packaged meals were distributed during Christmas

School Snack Program
Partnering again with Del Rey and Hesperian Elementary Schools, we provided healthy snacks for students at these Title 1 schools in the San Lorenzo School District, where many families face financial hardship.

Edendale Middle School Donation
This is a Title 1 school that supports students from low-income families, asylum seekers, refugees, undocumented families, and those experiencing homelessness. Their Newcomer Program helps English learners develop the language skills needed for success. Recognizing these challenges, SGOCI has partnered with the school to provide essential items such as clothing, hygiene supplies, and snacks to students in need.

Rise Against Hunger
Over 50 of our parishioners, both adults and children, participated in this event. Our volunteers packaged 10,152 meals in just two hours. These meals are sent to developing countries, primarily supporting school lunch programs. We are grateful to have resumed this program after the pandemic.

Family Resource Center – San Lorenzo Unified School District
We provided $1,500 in Walmart gift cards, each valued at $25, to support families in financial hardship during the holidays.

Blanket Donations
420 blankets were distributed to unhoused individuals and those in need through eight organizations across San Lorenzo, San Leandro, Fremont, San Jose, Watsonville, and Manteca to provide warmth during winter.

Adopt A Family for the Holidays
This year, SGOCI participated in the Adopt-a-Family program, providing gifts and grocery assistance to eight families facing financial hardship during the holiday season. These families were identified through the League of Volunteers (LOV) organization.

St Gregorios Orthodox Church, Spokane
$5,000 donation was made to St. Gregorios Church. Located in a low-income neighborhood, the church actively supports financially struggling members and the broader community by providing essential assistance with shelter, food, clothing, and financial aid. This contribution will help sustain their efforts to meet these pressing needs.

Angel Tree
We delivered 60 Christmas gifts, generously donated by our members, to children on behalf of their incarcerated parents. Along with distributing the gifts, our Sunday school children brought joy by singing Christmas carols to the families we visited.

Oversees Contributions
Contributions totaling $4,500 were made to 8 individual families in India, who faced physical infirmities, financial challenges and unforeseen circumstances.
$1,000 donation to Prerana School (a non profit organization that serves the needy and suffering near the villages around the seminary in Nagpur). In particular they provide schooling and help to the many special needs children in the area.
$1,000 donation to Mar Baselius Gregorios Mercy Home. Mercy Home takes care of about 100 elderly residents from diverse backgrounds.
$1,000 donation to St Gregorios Balagram, Yacharam a non profit organization that takes care of male children of families suffering from leprosy.

Special Charity Donations
In addition to these charitable programs, individual donors from our parish made the following contributions:
Abhayashila Project (India):
Individual donors from our parish contributed to the construction of the Abhayashila Special School in Mylamkulam, Puthoor. H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebius is leading this project to support these children.

Roha Project (India):
The Roha project under H.G. Mar Coorilos focuses on several initiatives aimed at uplifting the underprivileged and providing not just immediate relief but long-term rehabilitation, training and development to create sustainable livelihoods for the needy. Some of their key programs are Home for the Aged and Special School for Mentally Challenged

2024 SGOCI Charity Disbursements
Amount
Total US Disbursements
$47,045.97
Total India Disbursements
$7,500.00
Total Special Disbursements
$9,500.00
Total Disbursements for 2024
$64,045.97

Spiritual Organizations:

MMVS

On March 16th, we held our first charity event. Our members gathered at the church fellowship hall to cook and provide dinner for the inmates of the Women and Children’s Shelter in San Leandro.
In May, by God’s grace, we donated $1,500 in financial aid for educational and medical needs. This included $500 each to two students in Kerala to support their tuition fees and $500 for the treatment of a cancer patient. These cases were recommended by bishops of the Malankara Orthodox Church, accompanied by supportive letters from the applicants and their local parish priests.
In October, we donated $500 to Mrs. Prasanna Santhosh to buy a cow and $200 to Mrs. Jancy Sudheesh to purchase a sewing machine. Both applicants were from Kerala and were supported with recommendation letters from their local Orthodox parish priest

We are deeply grateful for the generosity and charitable actions of our parish family, which have fed the hungry, clothed the poor, provided shelter to the needy, and cared for the downtrodden.
Proverbs 19:17: “The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and the Lord will repay him for his good deed.”