NEW YORK, NY –
The Leadership 100 Executive Committee responded to the appeal of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and approved an emergency grant in the amount of $100,000 for the Greek Fire Relief Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. These funds will aid communities in Greece affected by the devastating fires that took place this past August.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese set the distribution priorities of the Greek Fire Relief Fund to the needs of the Holy Monastery of Axion Esti in Varnavas, Attica and the adjacent “Athanasios Martinos 1 & 2” Protected Living Homes for People with Intellectual Disabilities and People with Down Syndrome that were impacted by the fires, including the replacement of generators, reestablishment of the water supply, electrical wiring and equipment, and water tanks for future fire prevention, estimated at $116,000; firefighting equipment for the volunteer fire department in the area of Penteli that saved the Monastery and the Protected Living Homes, which may include a new fire truck, a fire pickup truck, firefighting gear and Jaws of Life equipment that in the aggregate would cost an estimated 500,000 Euros; and repair of the interior and replacement of the electrical wiring of the Church of Kimisis of the Theotokos, Apidoulas in the Metropolis of Ilia, where the Ionian Village summer camp is located, restoring the Church to its former glory at an estimated cost of 50,000 Euros.
Demetrios G. Logothetis, Chairman of Leadership 100, speaking on behalf of the Executive Committee, said: “Leadership 100 is pleased to provide aid to Greece in this hour of need, as we have done in past years. We continue to provide $1 million annually for scholarship support to seminarians preparing for the Priesthood at Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology as well as other grants. We are pleased to receive fully compliant progress reports from all grant recipients which are carefully reviewed by the Grant Committee.”
A total of $2.5 million in grants was paid in 2024 for prior year commitments and new grants. The new grants totaled $470,000, consisting of $270,000 for the Metropolises Camping Ministries and $200,000 to support the Clergy-Laity Congress hosted in San Diego. Leadership 100 distributed the maximum funding allowed for grants under its Regulations in 2022 and 2023 which were $4.6 million and $4.9 million, respectively. Total grants since the founding of Leadership 100 are now over $77 million.
