By Timothy Petropoulos
The holidays are a time for joy and cheer, peace and giving, but in these rough financial times, these virtues can be hard to find. The people of Astoria are not letting the current economic crisis affect them though, especially when it comes to donating money to their local churches.
“In these times it is even more important to give to your church, because we need our faith now more then ever,” said Astoria resident James Yankopoulos. “And we are nothing without faith.”
Astoria has always been known for its large Greek community, the largest outside of Greece, and Greeks have always been known for their dedication to their religion.
Astoria alone has four Greek-Orthodox churches that are mainly run from contributions from the community, and they are continuing to run strong thanks to the communities’ efforts.
“I think that if we lose our churches we lose a sacred place that is a sanctuary for many people,” said devote Christian Nick Batis. “And [financial] crisis or not we still have to give whatever we can to keep that alive.”
From young to old the feeling is almost unanimous around Astoria that one of the most important things to do during this crisis is not forgetting about donating to the churches, no matter how much.
“I am a college student so the money is a little tight, so I give a dollar here, a dollar there and I feel like I made a contribution,” said St. John’s student Apostolos Moshos. “Whatever you can give, you should give, because a little bit could go a long way.”