GREENLAWN, NY – The students of St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Shrine Church in Greenlawn, NY were inspired by the words of the Bible and their teacher Gus Constantine to help the poor and feed the hungry. Constantine, the author of the Escaping Cyprus book series, spoke with The National Herald about his book and his teaching Sunday School for grades 11 and 12.
“Earlier in the year after hearing the Gospel reading of the Good Samaritan; Luke 10:25-37 it reminded me of one of my favorite passages in the Bible which is Matthew 25:35; ‘I was hungry you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.’
After a lengthy discussion on helping and taking in people in need of shelter, the class overwhelmingly wanted to take part in St. Paraskevi’s Homeless Program. So, on Thursday evening January 26, the 11-12 Sunday School class came down to the church and served twenty-six guests. They did it all; from welcoming them while they handed them personal hygiene packages containing soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, etc. They served soup, salad, soft drinks, their main meal, and desert. Many of them while speaking to our guests in Spanish. There was no judgment; only respect.
It brought tears to my eyes when they all asked to if they could do it again. So, this past Sunday the class unanimously voted to do it again. But this time they asked if they can supply everything. They will supply all the food and drinks and some clothing. I must admit that I am as excited as they are. But as excited as I am, the excitement does not hold a candle to how proud I am of them.”
The students also shared their thoughts on helping the homeless. Megan Schiede said, “It was a very humbling experience. It is important to remind ourselves how much we have in comparison to others.”
Elizabeth Larkin observed, “Last Thursday, I had the privilege of helping serve a meal to community members in need with some peers from the St. Paraskevi Church. It was extremely eye-opening to see people so genuinely thankful for the basic necessities we often take for granted. This experience taught me that ‘giving back’ can really give anyone willing to help our community a sense of appreciation they may have lost touch with.”
Alex Morrison noted, “It’s satisfying to help those in need, and our guests certainly were thankful. That makes me glad.”
Caitlin DeVita stated, “Feeding the homeless was an eye opening experience for me. To see how happy and grateful these people were just to receive some dinner and be together makes me realize even more how lucky I am. There are so many people in this world who need our help, and it makes me feel so good that I was able to contribute to helping some of those people in need.”
Nikki Jacobus said, “Helping the homeless with my Sunday School class was such a humbling, wonderful, and unforgettable experience! Receiving this opportunity was truly a blessing.”
Catherine Andreadis shared the sentiments of her fellow classmates, “It was a very humbling experience and makes you realize how much we take for granted and how blessed we are.”
Gus Constantine’s wife, Georgia, is the President of the Philoptochos at St. Paraskevi. The book Escaping Cyprus and its sequel Escaping Cyprus II: The Final Chapter are available online.
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