Our Mission
Santa Verena Charity is a non-profit organization tax exempt under IRC 501(c)(3) rules of IRS. Its mission is to fight poverty through certain programs providing humanitarian assistance to help people in need.
Santa Verena Charity is the charity organization of the Diocese of Los Angeles and Hawaii overseen by His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion who emphasizes the importance of service to our needy brothers and sisters all over the world. We can define ‘charity work’ as generous giving to those who have financial needs. People with minimum finances have difficulties meeting their basic, educational, and health needs. Many poor people also have disabilities or illnesses which make their circumstances even more difficult. Santa Verena Charity, through our offices in Los Angeles and Cairo, work with local members of targeted communities to aid and develop individuals and communities by meeting their financial needs so they can cover food, health, and education costs.
Who we serve: Most of our aid focuses on Egypt-the mother country of the Coptic Orthodox Church. However, we also serve in Kenya, Brazil, Mexico and Hawaii through short-term trips and projects.
Why we serve: We serve those in need because it is our duty as Christians, and by serving we become co-workers with God. It is possible to summarize Santa Verena’s work with the passage in Matthew chapter 25 beginning from verse 31 to the end of the chapter. In this passage, our Lord Jesus Christ clearly gives us the command to serve. He promises eternal life to those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick. This kind of charity work fulfills our love for God by following His commandments and our love for our neighbors by helping them live better.
“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in Him?” 1 John 3:17
Our Lord Jesus Christ is of course, our greatest example of a servant. As Isaiah prophesied, Christ was sent ” to preach good tidings to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison to those who are abound.” Isaiah 61:1
As His faithful followers, we imitate Christ in our love and service to others and make this a great mission of our lives.