About Philoptochos

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Philoptochos means "friend of the poor" and is the separately incorporated Philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Society was founded in 1931 by the then Archbishop Athenagoras; today, Ladies Philoptochos Society chapters are located in every Greek Orthodox parish in the United States. Our goals and purposes are:
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• Philanthropy:  Through solicitation and fund raising events, millions of dollars have been raised to ease the pain and suffering of others;
• Propagation of the Faith:  The Society has generously supported the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Holy Cross Seminary;
• Education and Training:  Programs provide valuable information for our communities on health care and social issues.

Through the dedicated labor for our faithful Greek Orthodox women from across the United States, the Ladies Philoptochos Society has been there for countless persons for than 70 years.

Our local chapter is called the "Good Samaritan" Chapter. Every month, our local Ladies Philoptochos Society offers a Community Care Ministry project that supports various philanthropic endeavors. The following are just some of the philanthropies aided by Philoptochos:

C. S. Mott Children's Hospital, Arbor Hospice, Warm the Children, Wild Swan Theatre, Special Days Camp, Santa's Cupboard, Quality of Life Back to School, Safe House, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Public Libraries, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity.

The Ladies Philoptochos Society also supports national projects which in part include: International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), UNICEF, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Support a Mission Priest, Holy Cross Seminary, St. Basil's Academy, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

At the Metropolis level our Ladies Philoptochos Society supports the Metropolis Scholarship Fund, the Metropolis of Detroit Rose City Summer Camp Fund, the Emergency Fund and others.

Our Saint Nicholas Ladies Philoptochos Society has also extensively supported our New Church Building Fund. Proceeds from our Annual Holiday Bake Sale and the Yassou Golf Outing have gone towards fulfilling our pledge of $50,000 over 5 years to pay for the marble in the solea of our sanctuary. This is in addition to the $30,00 we have already donated.

We welcome new members. The Ladies Philoptochos Society has been the right hand of our church for over six decades and has a proud history of service to the needy and to our church.
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Click here for our brochure that includes our mission statement and membership application.