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For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 29, 2011
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Contact: AHEPA Headquarters
Phone: (202) 232-6300
Email: press@ahepa.org
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Press Release
AHEPA Joins Forces with the USO
to Support White House Initiative for Military Families
Join Team USO-AHEPA:
A $10 Donation Brings a Military Family Together through Reading
WASHINGTON - AHEPA National President Dr. John Grossomanides announced today the organization's support of Joining Forces, the First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's initiative to strengthen military families nationwide. In support of Joining Forces, AHEPA will help military families by selecting the United Through Reading® Military Program as a national service project, working in cooperation with the USO (United Service Organizations).
"AHEPA was inspired this year by the First Lady's Joining Forces campaign, the White House initiative to support military families," said Dr. Grossomanides. "AHEPA has a long and distinguished record of working with organizations such as the USO in support of military families and Veterans. We can and must do more to help families that are making extraordinary sacrifices to ensure our country is safe and our freedoms are guarded."
AHEPA will raise funds for United Through Reading, a program that enables service members to video record themselves reading books to their children back home and has a DVD of the recording and a copy of the book mailed back home to the family. The program offers families a chance to see their loved one's face and listen to his or her voice. The parent at home is encouraged to photograph the child watching the DVD and following along with the book. This keepsake is sent back to the deployed service member, boosting morale and promoting a full circle of communication.
"For every ten dollars raised, one child receives the gift of seeing their deployed parent reading that child a bedtime story," said Dr. Grossomanides. "It is a small amount to ask of us to bring loved ones together for precious moments that mean so much and that you and I take for granted every day. I encourage the community to support this program."
In 2003, AHEPA donated $10,000 to the "Operation-USO Care Package" Program. Annually since 1924, AHEPA has laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The mission of the AHEPA Family is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.
The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit http://www.uso.org.
About United Through Reading®
Founded in 1989, United Through Reading was the nation's first nonprofit to promote the read-aloud experience for separated families. Research shows that the read-aloud experience is a way for children to experience the joy of reading and gain critical learning and communications skills. For more information, visit www.unitedthroughreading.org or call (858) 481-7323.
About AHEPA
Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, to protect individuals from the evils of bigotry and discrimination, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 350 chapters across the United States, Canada, Greece and Cyprus. The mission of AHEPA is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism. For more information, please visit www.ahepa.org.
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AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, and sister chapters in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA joined with the NAACP and B'nai B'rith International to fight discrimination.
The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.
For more information about the AHEPA family, or how to join, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, (202) 232-6300, or visit www.ahepa.org.