11/24/2025
Your Excellency, Metropolitan Borys, Sister Joann, Reverend Fathers, beloved volunteers, benefactors, brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today is a special and blessed day. We gather here in prayer to thank Almighty God for five years of love, mercy, and compassion — five years of faithful service through the Good Samaritan Pantry and Saint Basil Support Ministry. Five years ago, we began this journey with one simple desire — to help those in need, to walk beside them and to bring them a ray of hope.
When we first began, we simply wanted to do good —to be, like the Good Samaritan, those who stop and respond to another’s pain. And now, looking back with gratitude
we see how wonderfully the Lord has worked through us and among us.
Throughout these years, thousands of people have received food, clothing, and humanitarian aid. Some came for bread and a kind word; others came seeking hope;
and some came simply to feel that they were not alone. And in each of these encounters, love was made visible through the hearts and hands of our volunteers, without whom none of this would have been possible.
We especially remember the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, when thousands of refugee families turned to us for help — families who fled explosions, loss, and fear.
They arrived with little more than hope in their eyes. And in those moments, our volunteers welcomed families, sorted clothing, packed food, and comforted all who came through our doors.
We also remember today our ministry to our homeless brothers and sisters — a sacred part of our calling. It is a ministry that demands not only time and strength, but a deep dedication of heart. To go to the homeless means to leave behind comfort, to meet pain, despair, and loneliness — and not to turn away.
Our volunteers have done just that. They have brought food, warm clothing, and hot tea
but even more, they have brought dignity, respect, and love. This service is a living testimony of faith, were we see the face of Christ, in each person we serve.
I especially want to thank all the drivers who at a moments notice traveled several miles each time to collect hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, loading and unloading their vehicles, so that we could have food to distribute to those who keep coming and coming. You have been truly amazing!
Dear volunteers, today my words are above all words of gratitude — to you. You are the heart of this ministry. You are the hands that reach out to help, the eyes that see the needs of others, the voices of compassion. You have become angels of mercy.
Many of you have been with us from the very beginning. You came in the heat and the cold, in times of joy and in moments of difficulty. Even when we ourselves were in need of encouragement, you came — ready to serve. You never asked whether it was easy or convenient. You simply showed up. And so today, I say thank you for being here, and thank you for allowing God to touch hearts through your service.
Your Excellency, Metropolitan Borys, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your fatherly care, your guidance, your prayers, and your constant encouragement. From the very beginning, you blessed this ministry and have walked with us as a shepherd and spiritual father, showing that true Christianity begins where we touch the wounds of humanity.
Your presence among us today is a great honor and a profound blessing.
We also extend our sincere thanks to all the Reverend Fathers, especially Fr. Daniel Troyan, who support us, and inspire us by their words, their example, and their faithful service.
Dear friends We thank God for every day, for every person who has become part of this mission. May the Lord, who began this good work, continue to guide and bless it.
May He bless all volunteers, benefactors, and everyone who supports this ministry. May He grant you peace, strength, health, and the joy that comes from serving others. Glory be to God for these five years of grace! From the bottom of my heart — thank you all. May God bless you!
Sister Teodora
