Congratulations to our parish's honorees!
Annunciation/Evangelismos Church 2019 Youth Ambassadors
Chryssa (Chrysoula) Michelle Papakirk ~ Ambassador of Faith
Chryssa (Chrysoula) is the daughter of Demetrios and Rubena Papakirk and has a younger brother, Markos. Chrysoula was involved in Girl Scouts, where she was awarded the Bronze Award and Silver Key for her level of commitment and community service. She is a GOYA member of which she is currently Treasurer, a member of the dance group, participates in Sights and Sounds and is active in Sunday school. This year, Chrysoula is volunteering with the Greek School by helping in the Kindergarten class. Chrysoula is in the 11th grade at CB South High School, where she was recently inducted into the National Honor Society. She is an artist and has participated in painting murals for the school, art club, and has had her work displayed at various galleries in the area. She also plays piano along with playing clarinet in the school band.
Christina Martinos ~ Ambassador of Hope
Christina Martinos is honored to be nominated as the Youth Ambassador of Hope for her church, Annunciation of Elkins Park. Christina is a junior and attends Lower Moreland High School where she is involved with an array of activities and sports. She is a Line Dance Captain in her high school's Mini-Thon and the Vice President of GOYA. Christina is also involved in organizations such as Environmental Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Buddy Club and a part of the Lacrosse team. Christina has been dancing for over thirteen years and is also a participant with The Foundation for Lower Moreland Schools. Also, she helps her parish by volunteering to help out at the Greek Festival, volunteers to read the Epistle, participates in Sunday School, helps out hosting GOYA coffee hours, and volunteers for Youth Sunday.
Niko Chin~ Ambassador of Love
Niko is a freshman at Lower Moreland High School. For LMHS he is a starter for varsity football, plays baseball and is a captain of the wrestling team. He is an active member of GOYA, volunteers during the OPA festival, participates in Greek dance, Sights & Sounds and is an Altar Boy. For the past 8 years, Niko has demonstrated Chinese Lion dance and Kung Fu with the Philadelphia Suns, a nonprofit which benefits underprivileged Chinese children. He also volunteers for Friends of the Doylestown Fishing program helping disabled veterans to fish. Niko was a proud winner of the Philadelphia Hellenic Federation 2019 Junior Division Poem Contest.
Anna Nanos ~ Ambassador of Peace
Anna Nanos is a 10th grader at Lower Moreland High School who's been an active member in the GOYA of Annunciation Elkins Park since seventh grade. Anna annually volunteers her time at her parish's OPA Festival. She enjoys participating in her GOYA dance group as well as the Delaware Valley Region Sights and Sounds Festival. Anna is musically talented, as she plays both the piano and the viola. Her hobbies include dancing, theater, cooking, fashion design, and traveling. Anna is described as being a very kind, loving, and compassionate person. She always strives for academic excellence, but more importantly, she always goes out of her way to make people feel loved and appreciated. Her warm nature, humor, and her peaceful manner are among Anna's most revered attributes.
Annunciation/Evangelismos Church 2019 Adult Honorees
Philip Pappas ~Parish Honoree
Phil, a Philadelphia native, is one of our longest-tenured Parish Council members, serving since the early 1990s. Phil has served as treasurer or assistant treasurer for many years was a YAL leader representing the Del Val in Diocesan youth conferences and is a long-standing member of our choir as well as the Philadelphia Pan-Orthodox Choir. Phil’s Philadelphia spirit shines through, especially during football season, where it would not be unusual to see Phil sporting an Eagles jersey on Sundays, to pray and root for his home team! We are all grateful for Phil's selfless love, service, and dedication to our beloved Annunciation.
Dora Mikroulis ~ Philoptochos Honoree
Dora was born and raised in Corfu Greece and came to the United States in 1973. She was married to the late Dr. Nicholas Mikroulis of blessed memory and has three children and three grandchildren. Dora has been a member of the Annunciation Parish since 1988 and a committed member of the Philoptochos Society "Nausica". She has served on the board of Philoptochos and has actively participated in various committees. She currently leads the Philoptochos Sunshine Committee in charge of sending get-well and sympathy cards to our parishioners. Dora epitomizes the willing and discreet sacrifices so many of our parishioners make in anonymity. It has been a blessing for her to be associated with so many wonderful parishioners and to serve our beloved Annunciation community.
Christina Hadgimallis ~ Youth Worker
Christina Hadgimallis is a Catechism School director at Annunciation Church in Elkins Park. She started as an advisor for the Hope/ Joy program before branching out to help begin a successful Mommy and Me program. When she isn't coordinating communications for Catechism school, she spends her time chasing around her four young children! She is currently a board member of the Parent Teacher Organization at Annunciation Elkins Park. Christina has a passion for learning and a strong belief in the importance of Greek Orthodox faithful education. She is dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of children through spiritual growth.
Jacinda Qjeda ~ Religious Education Honoree
Jacinda has been a member of Annunciation since moving to the Philadelphia suburbs six years ago. With the support of Youth Ministries leadership, she created a curriculum to transform a small, monthly toddler playgroup into a weekly "pre-Catechism" program called "Little Apostles." Every week, through stories, crafts, and play, she works to build a strong Orthodox Christian foundation in Annunciation's youngest parishioners. Jacinda currently resides in Huntingdon Valley with her husband and six-year-old daughter. In addition to her involvement in the church, she enjoys spending time with family, volunteering at her daughter's school, and working part-time in college admissions.