“Glory to Thee for Thy goodness even in the time of darkness, when all the world is hidden from our eyes.”
— Akathist of Thanksgiving
This verse comes from the Akathist of Thanksgiving, a service that many Orthodox parishes pray at the start of the new Church Year on September 1. It’s often attributed to Father Gregory Petrov, a priest who died in a Soviet prison camp in 1940, and prayed this service in the midst of unimaginable suffering.
Every day across America, FOCUS staff and volunteers meet people living in that “time of darkness.” They are our neighbors—hungry, cold (or too hot in unsheltered heat), weary, and often invisible. Some live on the streets. Others work multiple jobs yet still can’t afford basic needs like utilities or housing. Many are spiritually adrift, wondering if anyone sees them, knows them, or cares.
At one of our FOCUS Centers, a guest shared a booklet of drawings that tell the story of her life. You can see one of those drawings to the left. Titled WHY ME?, it stands out as a keen insight into the people we serve at FOCUS. Through the swirls of darkness that make up the figure’s body, you can see and feel the range of emotions that the guest expressed: grief, anger, confusion, loneliness, fear, frustration…
It’s the story of thousands of our brothers and sisters across the country.
And it’s why the ministry of FOCUS is so important, perhaps now more than ever.
FOCUS isn’t just about food or clothing—though those are essential. It’s about all of us meeting our neighbors face-to-face, looking into their eyes, and offering the Love of Christ in tangible ways: through a warm meal, a comfortable bed, a compassionate hug, or the simple act of looking into their eyes and hearing their story.
When our neighbors cry out in suffering, often asking “why me?”, we as donors and volunteers must also ask ourselves, “Why me? Why us?” Yet the answer is not found in our own worthiness, but in God’s call to serve.
When God called the prophets–from Moses and Samuel to Isaiah and Elijah–they responded to this opportunity with a joyful, courageous offering: not “why me” but “here I am, send me!”
Service isn’t simply an obligation, it’s a blessing. When we serve our neighbor, we thank God for loving us so much that He gives us the opportunity to share in His work of healing and hope, turning our gratitude into action for those in need.
The Lord’s goodness shines through you when you serve. And FOCUS is blessed to invite thousands of faithful into that holy, sacramental work.
The Need is Great — and Growing
Across our 11 established Centers and 3 new Centers in development, we have seen:
- Tens of thousands of meals served this year to men, women, and children in need.
- Dozens of thousands of articles of clothing provided to families.
- Countless acts of personal care and dignity—the offering of showers, haircuts, hygiene kits, job referrals.
- Spiritual connection through prayer, Scripture, and the powerful act of simply being present.
Each of these acts of service represents a life touched, a neighbor seen, and hope renewed.
Each of these acts of service makes the Kingdom of Heaven manifest in tangible ways.
Why Giving Locally and Nationally Matters
Your gift to a local FOCUS Center puts food on the table, warm clothes in waiting hands, and hope in the hearts of neighbors right where you live. FOCUS Centers operate at a baseline 92% programmatic efficiency. That means that 92 cents of every dollar given is maximized for the impact of this holy, sacramental work.
If you don’t live near a FOCUS Center, or you want to support the expanding work of FOCUS across the country, we encourage you to consider giving to our National Office, which directly supports all of our Centers and develops new Centers in new cities.
If you choose to support the growing ministry of FOCUS, your impact reaches across the Church and across the country:
- Opening new doors of mercy by launching and sustaining FOCUS Centers in underserved cities; and
- Strengthening the entire network of FOCUS Centers through established best practices, transparent financial support and reporting, operational and strategic guidance, training for local Center Directors, as well as marketing and fundraising support to continue inviting new people to share in this critical ministry.
Whether you support a particular Center or the wider work of FOCUS, your gifts work hand-in-hand to meet urgent needs in your community while expanding the reach of Christ’s Love in communities across the country.
Both are vital. Both transform lives.
As the year draws to a close, will you help us serve people in their time of darkness?
Your gift enables us to respond when someone cries out “Why me?” We can be there to share Christ’s Love with an open hand and tangible help.
Please, prayerfully consider making your most generous gift today, whether it’s $10, $100, $1,000, or $10,000.
Give online at focusna.org/whyme. You can allocate your gift to any of our local Centers, developing Centers, or the National Office.
Thank you for helping manifest God’s goodness in the time of darkness that so many are experiencing. Remember, God loves us so much that He is inviting us into the holy work of serving our neighbors.
With gratitude in Christ,
Steven Christoforou, Executive Director
