Young Professionals

Mission

Our Lord calls us to love one another; He asks us to care for each other, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church has responded to the needs of our brothers and sisters in need for over a century. Our church has established a Young Professionals Group for young adults which seeks to continue such philanthropic outreach. The Young Professionals has served as a vehicle by which professionals of the church can use their knowledge and career skills to improve the lives of those less fortunate than us.

While all communities are eager to engage in such philanthropic work, it is often difficult to find the person-power needed to execute such projects. In this regard, Annunciation is very similar to many other parishes; however, through our Young Professionals Group, Annunciation has actually overcome many of the problems. We have found that there are four critical elements to the success of the Young Professionals:

• 1. There is Strength in Numbers: We realize that the more minds and hands we have in a room, the better prepared we are to successfully complete an outreach mission. We continue to build our base by spreading the good news through the use of social media outlets; by being inclusive and finding a place for individuals of all age groups; and by making our events highly accessible.

  2. People Want to Help: Most professionals, in spite of their busy schedules, want to be a part of the work of the Church. Additionally, it is important to remember that a person's career path never places limits to their eagerness to help. We should never assume that a person is only interested in advancing his/her career, but we should offer everyone an opportunity to get involved as much as possible. Each and every event has been directly linked to social outreach, and our members are encouraged to participate as much as their schedules permit. Whether they attend a social gathering, or help prepare meals for the homeless of NYC, we try to find ways to get everyone involved.

  3. Think Outside the Box: To help people stay involved and enthused, it is imperative that we move beyond conventional thinking. This means that we take what we have learned from the past and combine it with our members' education, skills, and life-experience.

  4. It's OK to Have Fun! Many might feel that social outreach is boring or a dreary task. To help overcome some of these mental blocks, the Young Professionals has insisted on the connection between social outreach & social networking. We hold monthly gatherings at various venues in NYC and allow our members to socialize and network. This has not only made the process of helping others enjoyable, but has also yielded incredible new ideas.

We hope that you would consider joining our Young Professionals and become part of something that helps us overcome any limitations on the love we have for our neighbor.

For more information, please contact Father Sotirios: fathersotirios@annunciation-nyc.org