BALTIMORE, MD – The youth of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta recently met the challenge set for them at the Hellenic Dance Festival in Orlando, Florida, by assembling more than 2,020 health kits for International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).

The kit-assembly challenge, part of the Hellenic Dance Festival’s weekend service project, ultimately supported IOCC’s emergency kit program. During the holiday weekend of January 17–20, hundreds of Hellenic dancers— elementary to high-school age— took time out from competing to attend sessions dedicated to packing health kits. Some sessions saw participants standing shoulder to shoulder along the three assembly lines in a large hall. Across just two days, the young people hit their goal of 2,020 kits.

“It’s so exciting to see the next generation engaging in service this way,” said Christina Meares, IOCC’s Manager of Outreach, Donor Engagement, and Special Events, who oversaw the assembly sessions. “Making kits is a simple activity, but remember: on the other end of your gift is another person, somewhere in the world, who really needs these things. We’re so grateful for everyone who contributes to this cause.”

Health kits include basics like a bar of soap, a washcloth, a toothbrush, and a comb. These items and others are packed together in gallon-size freezer bags, collected in boxes, and shipped to the warehouse, managed by IOCC partner Church World Service. Eventually, kits are loaded onto shipping containers and sent to their final destinations.

For more information on IOCC’s emergency kits and detailed assembly instructions, visit iocc.org/kits.

Designed to help IOCC promote the Christian value of service, the program gives supporters a means to offer tangible assistance to people in need. Each year IOCC distributes tens of thousands of health kits, school kits, and cleanup buckets to those who need them, both overseas and in the US. In 2019 alone, for example, IOCC delivered over 91,000 kits made by US volunteers to Armenia, Bosnia, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Syria.

To read more about IOCC’s ongoing humanitarian and development work, visit iocc.org. Donations can be made online or by contacting IOCC by phone: 410-243-9820.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is the humanitarian and development agency of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has provided more than $692 million in humanitarian relief and sustainable development programs in over 60 countries worldwide. Today, IOCC applies its expertise in humanitarian response to natural and manmade crises in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, offering assistance based solely on need. Learn more at iocc.org and follow @IOCCRelief on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.