At St. Nicholas, we have several ongoing charitable projects. We’re always looking for new ways to help those in need, and welcome volunteers to join this important work. 

• Twice a year, church school students put together emergency hygiene kits to distribute to homeless men and women at shelters in our area. (We also have assembled school kits for IOCC to send overseas.)

• St. Nicholas parishioners work with the metro-area pan-Orthodox Mission and Outreach Committee, based at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, Falls Church, Virginia. Through this group, we join the annual area-wide food drive, distribute food and clothing bags to the homeless twice a year, and serve dinner monthly (expanding to twice a month) at a homeless shelter in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. 

• The St. Katherine’s committee supports projects of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, with individuals joining teams to Kenya, Mexico, Alaska, and other locations. Anyone can join the committee. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm at St. Katherine’s. 

• We are looking at ways to work with FOCUS North America, a group of Orthodox Christians that does hands-on work to address poverty and need throughout the U.S. 

For more information on any of these projects or to talk about new ideas, please contact Candice Johnson, ceinarjohnson@gmail.com

Photo: Tim Markatos