SAE President revisits, speaks at major organizations he helped found in the ‘90s

CHICAGO, March 9 – World SAE President, Andrew A. Athens, has made presentations to two major church organizations, the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Leadership 100, both of which he helped found in the past decade.

Mr. Athens praised the philanthropic work of International Orthodox Christian Charities as a precursor to SAE’s Medical Relief Initiative during the presentation of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award to IOCC at a New York dinner Saturday.

Mr. Athens was invited to describe how he and John Rangos, of Pittsburgh, co-founded IOCC in 1992 at the direction of Archbishop Iakovos, then prelate of the Orthodox Church of North and South America. An appeal by Patriarch Alexii of Russia for humanitarian assistance led to the formation of IOCC as a vehicle of channeling food, clothing, and pharmaceuticals to Orthodox communities, especially in war-torn areas and to refugees.

The establishment by Mr. Athens, of SAE’s Medical Relief Initiative in the newly Independent States in the Black Sea area and in Albania, followed his tenure as chairman of IOCC. The two are the first international Hellenic organization founded in the U.S. for the purpose of providing humanitarian assistance.

A week earlier Mr. Athens, a founder of Leadership 100 and the founding chairman of the group, attended the organization’s Florida convention where he was asked to introduce CIA director George Tenet as a speaker. Leadership 100 aims to raise funds from individuals who pledge at least $100,00 for the preservation of the Orthodox Church and its programs in the U.S.

“It is always very satisfying to have the opportunity to witness how these two important efforts have taken roots and are fulfilling their mission,” Mr. Athens said.