Palos Heights Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church Helps Kids

Palos Heights Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church Handmaidens Youth Ministry and Greek Orthodox Youth of America Benefits Children and Teens with Cancer

In the spirit of giving, the Handmaidens Youth Ministry of Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Youth of America, or GOYA, in Palos Heights are helping children and teens fighting cancer. The students recently sponsored a toy drive to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF). The students collected 100’s of toys, gifts, $162 and volunteered to label and categorize the toys to help children and teens fighting cancer.

The Handmaidens at Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church are girls between 7-17 years of age who are geared to work on service projects that teach young girls to offer their time and talents to the church and the community at large. The Greek Orthodox Youth of America, or GOYA, is a nationwide ministry for 6th-12th graders. The mission of GOYA Ministry is to strengthen the relationship of young Orthodox Christians with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Father George Lamberis said, ‘We are thankful for this opportunity to be able to send Christ through these donations that bring a little bit of joy to the children. We pray that God’s love is experienced through these gifts.” GOYA Advisor Nancy Primbas said, “Saint Spyridon Church loves helping kids and it breaks our hearts to learn what the children go through as they battle cancer. We are happy to support the Treasure Chest Foundation.” The Handmaidens Chairwoman Vicky Argyropoulos chimed in by saying, “We helped out last year and we love the Treasure Chest Foundation.”

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel expressed her profound gratitude for the generous support shown by Father George Lamberis, the Handmaidens, Greek Orthodox Youth of America, and Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church parishioners. “The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful to the Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church for their enormous donation of toys and $162,” said an appreciative Ms. Kisel, “It is wonderful to see the giving members of this church come together to help little ones whose lives have become filled with doctors, nurses, surgeries, pills, chemotherapy, radiation and mostly painful, painful procedures.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 16,100 young cancer patients in 66 cancer treatment centers in 21 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 30th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 1-708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.