The FAITH Endowment Awards 45 Financial Aid Travel Grants to Ionian Village

On February 29, 2016 “FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism” awarded 45 full and partial financial aid travel grants to young people registering to participate in the 2016 Ionian Village Summer Camp program.

Grant recipients represent all metropolises across the nation and include some of the most promising young people in the Greek and Hellenic-American community who may not otherwise have the opportunity to travel to Greece. The grants were awarded on a primarily need-based financial aid basis; however, each applicant’s academic performance was weighed in the evaluation review process.

“The FAITH Travel Grant to Ionian Village is much more than just a grant; it is a way to get in touch with my spiritual side and experience my heritage. I thank FAITH for this opportunity, and I will not let it go to waste,” said Zoe G., a 2016 grant recipient from Minnesota.

Over the last eight years, FAITH has sponsored over 370 grants for young people to attend Ionian Village Summer Camp.

Nikolas K. from New York received the FAITH Travel Grant to Ionian Village in summer of 2015 and said, “FAITH gave me the most memorable three weeks of my life. In Greece, I grew spiritually, explored my family’s culture and made relationships that will last a lifetime.” He continued, “No words justify the gratitude I have to FAITH for awarding me this incredible blessing. I will never forget the first time I visited Greece, thanks to FAITH’s generous grant.”

“There absolutely aren’t enough words to express my sincere gratitude towards the FAITH Endowment for the amazing summer and experiences that Ionian Village has given me,” said Evangelia T., a 2015 grant recipient from South Carolina.

Mrs. Elaine Jaharis, a Founder of The FAITH Endowment, Ionian Village Alumna and Chair of the Committee spoke on behalf of the Founders of FAITH, “We are sincerely pleased to offer this transformative and spiritually enriching experience to young people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to connect to their Hellenic roots and Orthodox faith through Ionian Village.”
FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism supports the development of innovative educational, cultural, and scholarship programs for young people that promote an understanding of the Orthodox faith, Hellenism, and the relationship of the two to America’s history and multicultural landscape.

FAITH announced it will once again sponsor a series of merit-based scholarships for high school seniors entering college in the fall through its prestigious “FAITH Scholarships for Academic Excellence” program. The application, along with a complete list of applicant criteria, can be downloaded from the FAITH website: thefaithendowment.org/FSAE. The deadline is June 30, 2016.

Each summer, Ionian Village participants travel across Greece visiting significant sites of Greek history. At the end of each program, the campers return home with strengthened faith, lifelong friendships and an expanded appreciation for the Orthodox Church and Greek culture.

For more information, please call: 212-644-6960 or visit thefaithendowment.org.