Thanks for a Fruitful July!

July was another month of growth and connection for FOCUS Bridgeport. We welcomed even more our neighbors at our monthly Community Meal and provided 130 weekly lunches, books, and friendship bracelets for children participating in the Luis Muñoz Marin School summer program, We were blessed by volunteers from churches across Fairfield County who joined us in preparing food, serving meals, and distributing lunches as we continued strengthening relationships with local schools and community partners.

Backpack Drive: 

We did it—400 backpacks for children in our community! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Orthodox community, we reached our Back-to-School Backpack Challenge goal and will be providing backpacks for students in Bridgeport as they prepare for the new school year.

While our goal was to provide backpacks, the deeper purpose of this effort is so much more. Each backpack is an opportunity to build relationships, strengthen our connection with our neighbors, and live out Christ’s command to love one another. Through your incredible generosity, we are reminding children and families in Bridgeport that they are seen, valued, and cared for. We're reminding them that God sees them, too.

Our next step is to fill these backpacks with items that will support children and families as they begin the school year. Thank you to everyone who donated, prayed, volunteered, and helped make this outreach possible! Together, we are sharing Christ’s love to our neighbors!

Stay tuned for what's next in our backpack program!

Next Opportunity to volunteer:

Next opportunity to volunteer for meal service is August 29, 2026. Sign up here!
https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/FOCUSBridgeport

Linda Kolton
Center Director FOCUS Bridgeport
203.615.8139 |  Lkolton@FOCUSna.org

Dear Faithful Friends, Together, we did it. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Orthodox parishes and supporters across the country, this year's FOCUS Backpack Program has already exceeded every goal we set.  61 participating parishes  3,844 backpacks provided  2,364 school supply kits assembled Compared to last year, that's a 26% increase in participating parishes, a 35% increase in backpacks, and a 27% increase in school supply kits. Glory to God! Every backpack packed, every supply kit assembled, and every volunteer who served is a reminder of what is possible when the Orthodox Church comes together to love and serve our neighbors. There's still time to participate. GET STARTED TODAY! If your parish is planning to join in the coming weeks, we'd still love to welcome you. Every additional backpack means another student can begin the school year prepared and encouraged. And if your parish has already participated—or if this wasn't the right year to host the backpack program—we invite you to help carry this ministry forward with a financial gift. Your support doesn't just provide backpacks. It helps FOCUS continue growing this program year after year while making it possible to launch new national initiatives that meet practical needs in communities across the country. In fact, because of the generosity we've received through programs like this one, we're preparing to launch a new Winter Coat Program later this year—bringing warmth and hope to even more families during the coldest months of the year. The Backpack Program is more than a seasonal outreach. It's part of a growing movement of Orthodox Christians responding to local needs with practical acts of love. Help keep that momentum going. Participate. Donate. Help us serve even more neighbors. DONATE TODAY! Thank you for helping make this our biggest Backpack Program yet. We can't wait to see what God does next. With gratitude, FOCUS North America