AHEPA Provides Fourth Delivery of Aid to Flint Victims

Michigan AHEPA family members delivered their fourth semi-truck load of milk, totaling 1,944 gallons of milk to the victims of the Flint Water Crisis, June 6. 2017. On this occasion, the AHEPA family teamed-up with Flint’s Catholic Charities to serve 1,600 Flint residents in need. To date, AHEPA has delivered 7,776 gallons of milk, and AHEPA thanks Kroger Company, especially Pat Coe, manager, Flint Kroger #404. The initial milk drive occurred March 25, 2016.  Why milk? According to state public health departments, optimal nutrition can play an important role in minimizing the amount of lead absorbed and stored in bones, especially in children. When minerals such as calcium and iron are deficient, lead absorption is increased.

Journey to Greece Students Visit Crete

The 2017 session of AHEPA Journey to Greece has completed two weeks visiting ancient and cultural sites. In addition to classroom sessions, the students visited archaeological sites on Crete, including the Palace of Knossos.  Knossos is one of the oldest cities in Europe dating back to 7000 BC.  Other sites in Greece visited were Olympia and Meteora. At each site, archaeologists and experts briefed the students. They also visited the Acropolis Museum and the Benaki Museum in Athens.

 

NEW! | Summer Issue of The Ahepan

Hot off the electronic press! Check out the latest issueof The Ahepan before it hits mailboxes. It recaps another successful Capitol Hill Day, Greek Independence celebrations, and our annual Leadership Excursion. And, of course, read about how AHEPA chapters throughout the world are strengthening their communities through volunteer service. Fall issue deadline: August 14.

Program Update | 95th Supreme Convention

The latest convention update includes information about: AHEPA’s exclusive 95th anniversary celebration at Epcot; the inaugural Hellenic History National Tournament; and convention educational and cultural programs  Plus, make sure you’re up-to-speed on all the logistics to help make your visit “Magical,” including the “My Disney Experience” app.  Click here for more.

Add Your Voice: Parthenon Marbles Congressional Resolution

Add your voice. Tell Congress to back the return of the Parthenon Marbles.  Help pass a congressional resolution that expresses the sense of Congress hat the United Kingdom should enter into negotiations with Greece to facilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.   learn more

Rebuild St. Nicholas Campaign

AHEPA is determined to meet its Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign fund raising goal of $1 million. Donations–large and small–keep pouring in for AHEPA’s #RebuildStNicholas capital campaign.

ICYMI | Our campaign continues its momentum during the summer.  Thank you AHEPA Chapter 60, Lehigh, Pa., for its $1,000 donation to the campaign!

• #RebuildStNicholas campaign webpage

• Check Out: Our panel of donors

TAKE ACTION!

Has your district or chapter organized a fundraiser for the campaign to #RebuildStNicholas?  Take action and support AHEPA’s campaign today! Please tweet about your fundraising activity by using #RebuildStNicholas to share your work with the broader community!

Make your tax-deductible donation online by clicking here

Share Media

St. Nicholas Appeal Video

AHEPA has produced its latest appeal video to help #RebuildStNicholas.

• Check it out and share widely!

• TAKE ACTION: Donate Today!

• MORE TO SHARE: Initial appeal videoreleased at the 94th Grand Banquet!

Project Update

Live Webcam!

Thanks to a live webcam, you can watch progress being made with a first-hand look at the site where Saint Nicholas National Shrine will be build.

Washington Update

Tell Congress to Back the Return of the Parthenon Marbles

AHEPA commends the introduction of H.Con.Res.51, a bipartisan, concurrent resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece. U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced the resolution, May 2.

• Find & Urge Your U.S. Representative to Co-sponsor H.Con.Res.51, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard, 202.224.3121.

• Share our Call to Action blog post.

Help Grow the Hellenic Caucus! Membership at 126.

The 115th Congress is well underway. And with it, the work renews for the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, led by Co-chairs U.S. Reps. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY).  The Hellenic Caucus has 126 members.

• Is your U.S. representative a member of the Hellenic Caucus? Click here to find out

• Download & Share: Action alert to help you outreach to Congress

The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

July

25-29 | AHEPA Family 95th Supreme Convention, Orlando, Fla.

August

14 | Deadline for fall issue of The Ahepan

Greek American News Digest

Editor’s Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.

Greece could return to the bond markets as early as next week

CNBC (July 18)

The Greek government seems ready to tap the bond markets again as early as next week, a source close to the situation told CNBC on Tuesday, which would mark the first time since 2014 that the country has borrowed from the capital markets.  read more

Nimetz meets Kotzias, says he will strive for resumption of Greece-FYROM talks

ANA-MPA (July 17)

Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Monday said he had a “serious and interesting meeting” with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Greece-FYROM talks Matthew Nimetz, on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The meeting was held following Nimetz’s recent trip to Skopje. read more

Greek foreign minister: Turkey wasn’t ready for Cyprus deal

ABC News via Associated Press (July 18)

Turkey showed it is not ready to come to an agreement on reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus during recently failed peace talks, Greece’s foreign minister said Tuesday.  read more

Race for Cyprus gas and oil sparks tensions in the Mediterranean

Deutsche Welle (July 17)

It’s deja-vu all over again. Just six years after Turkey threatened Cyprus to pull the plug on a controversial energy project, Ankara is now warning of new reprisals, and has sent warships to shadow drilling vessels exploring for oil and gas off the coast of the war-divided Mediterranean island.  read more

Planetary astronomy in ancient Greece

 Oxford University Press Blog (July 17)

As eclipse 2017 quickly approaches, Americans—from astronomers to photographers to space enthusiasts—are preparing to witness the celestial wonder that is totality.

Phenomenon found within planetary science has long driven us to observe and study space. Through a shared desire to dismantle and reconstruct the theories behind our solar system, ancient Greek philosophers and scientists built the foundation of planetary astronomy.

The following shortened excerpt from The Oxford Illustrated History of Science discusses the evolution of planetary astronomy in ancient Greece.  read more

Emotions Exhibition Opens at the Athens Acropolis Museum

The National Herald (July 18)

The unseen emotional landscape in ancient art is explored in the exhibition “?motions” organised by the Acropolis Museum and the Onassis Foundation, which is to open in Athens on Tuesday and run until November 19.Featuring 129 artifacts from some of the greatest museums in the world, the exhibition was first shown at the Onassis Cultural Centre in New York under the title “A World of Emotions: Ancient Greece, 700 B.C. – 200 A.D.” until June 24 this year, where it won over the public to become one of the most visited exhibitions held at the centre.   read more

How EU reckons Greece can make a successful return to markets

Reuters (July 18)

Greece’s imminent return to markets will be a step towards a successful exit from its euro zone-funded bailout program, but it will not be an overnight change.The process, European Union officials say, will require a series of successful bond sales and the build-up of a “sizeable” cash buffer.  read more