Appeal From FOCUS North America

Beloved Readers

“He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children inmy name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me’” (Mark 9:36-3, NIV).

September is back-to-school time, and there are many children who are in need of supplies and shoes for the new school year. FOCUS North America has been working diligently through our FOCUS Orange County Center to provide for these needs.

In Orange County, CA there are over 26,000 homeless children. Many of these children live in transitory motels. In some cases, there are more than six children living in one hotel room. They often do not know where their next meal will come from. This summer FOCUS Orange County partnered with several other ministries to reach out to these motel children. Parishioners from six Orthodox missions and parishes, in a united effort to serve those in need, donated over 300 backpacks for individual children and filled them with school supplies in July, shoes in August and groceries in September. In addition to the backpacks, another 150 pairs of shoes were collected at shoe drives held at various Orthodox churches.

Your generous gifts to FOCUS North America help fund programs like the FOCUS Orange County outreach to the motel children. It also helps programs at all our FOCUS Centers across the country and those of our partner ministries and parishes.

Would you like to be a part of this positive action to help the poor and needy? Could you consider a modest financial contribution to be supportive of Christ’s Gospel teachings? Right now, we are earnestly looking for 500 people to contribute $20 or more a month to help sustain a ministry to “the least of these” here in North America. Please consider partnering with us in this way, and thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Click here to Make Your Valuable Donations!!!

With Those We Serve,
Fr. Justin Mathews
Executive Director and CEO