AHEPA Delphi 25 Helps Harlem Students Gear Up for Back to School

NEW YORK:. – Over the summer, AHEPA Delphi 25 (Manhattan) successfully hosted its inaugural Delphi Back to School Supply Drive, collecting and packing school supply bags for New York City public school students.

Demonstrating its re-commitment to education and aiding the local community, AHEPA members, friends, and community supporters donated generously through financial contributions, Amazon Wish List fulfillments, and donations to several drop-off locations located at Greek Orthodox churches around Manhattan, including Annunciation, Saints George & Demetrios, and the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

In an expansion of outreach, KPMG incorporated the event into its annual Community Impact Day. A Big 4 professional services firm with approximately 3,500 employees in New York Metro alone, KPMG sent volunteers, provided supplies, and marketed the event to its internal network.

On August 5, thanks to the hospitality of Fr. Michael Giavris and the local parish, AHEPA members and KPMG volunteers met at Saints George & Demetrios to pack supplies in bags to be delivered. In total, over 200 bags filled with paper, pencils, folders, notebooks, and more were packed and sent to six different 3K-5th grade public schools in Harlem, some of which include students in short-term temporary housing (STH).

In speaking with one of the parent coordinators from a participating Harlem school, AHEPA Delphi 25 President Paul Pavlakos had heard of the struggles youth in some schools encounter. The parent coordinator highlighted that these students, particularly the ones in STH, sometimes go through a great deal and that even having the right school supplies to start the year is an advantage. Amid anecdotes of kids going hungry, low attendance due to environmental factors, and the State moving STH students across country to find more permanent housing, the prevailing expression was to “do what we can to help.”

Pavlakos stated: “We have made ‘Community Impact’ one of our mottos this year; AHEPA has served the Hellenic community for over 100 years. Our aim is to go beyond; to serve those in Manhattan who do not share our heritage but share our home. To be able to help our struggling neighbor, particularly youth who have all opportunities and bright futures in front of them, that is what ‘Community Impact’ means to us.”

To learn more about Delphi 25’s current initiatives and upcoming events, visit ahepa25.org.

Source: The National Herald
Photo: AHEPA Delphi Chapter 25 of Manhattan successfully hosted its inaugural Delphi Back to School Supply Drive, collecting and packing school supply bags for New York City public school students. Photo: Courtesy of AHEPA