Daughters of Penelope

      

Penelope’s Pen – September 2026

How quickly Summer has flown by! For a week in late July, Antiklea #68 Sister Tammy Sotos and her son, Elias, attended the 104th AHEPA Family Supreme Convention celebrating AMERICA 250 in Philadelphia, PA. The daily general sessions were held, new Grand Lodge officers were elected, and the nightly events highlighted the City of Brotherly Love “Filadefia” from the Philadelphia Museum of Art (aka “Rocky steps”) to Independence Hall where the Liberty Bell is on display and the Battleship New Jersey honoring AHEPA Family veterans, and several National awards were given to worthy recipients.

Over 500 Ahepans, Daughters, Sons and Maids in attendance – Philadelphia Museum of Art, July 2026

District 3 Chapter representatives: Sondra Sealine (Venus #102 Charlotte), Helen Dennie (Charis Eleni #337 Newport News – newly elected Grand Governor Zone I), Tammy Sotos (Antiklea #68 Richmond), Kathy Matrakas (Hermione #11 Bethesda), Angela Costalas (Hermione #11 DC) and her husband, John.

 

Daughters of Penelope held the 28th biennial Salute to Women reception honoring Dody Tsiantar, Journalist, Professor, Author and Photographer. Her work includes the Washington Post, Newsweek, Money, In Style and Time. Her latest work includes “Glimpses of Greece: Door Portraits”, two of which were given as raffle prizes.

There are too many photos to share here, but you can access the yearbook and calendar of events here: Supreme Convention – The Order of AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope Yearbook. You can also find several posts on the Daughters of Penelope Facebook page tagged #DOP96 to learn more about Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, Family and Individual Excellence.

Our Summer Book Chat / Potluck was well attended by 17 sisters on Wednesday, August 19th to celebrate outgoing President Jackie Harmon for her leadership over the past few years. We read “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom. Fascinating discussion about the themes of the book led by Sister Kathryn Geranios. Keep an eye out for future Book Chats every other month, open for all to attend!

Our next DOP General Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10th at 7pm in the Andre Room.

Richmond Flying Squirrels: Last Regular Season Game
Join us for a fun afternoon at CarMax Park, 2200 Arthur Ashe Boulevard, on Sunday, September 13th at 2:05 p.m. Baseline seats are $17 each, and a block of 20 tickets has been reserved. Contact Tammy Sotos at tntsotos@outlook.com or (804)543-6711 to reserve your ticket. Go Nutzz!

 

Daughters of Penelope

The Daughters of Penelope (DOP) was the realization of Alexandra Apostolides' dream.  Her desire was to create a woman's organization and because of her perseverance and the encouragement of her husband Dr. Emanuel Apostolides, a devoted AHEPAN, she formed EOS Chapter #1 with 25 charter members on November 16,1929 in San Francisco, California. The objectives of the Daughters of Penelope are to promote Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence.     


Who is Penelope?

In ancient Greek legend, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, King of Ithaca. Odysseus left her and their son, Telemachus when he went to the Trojan War. When the war ended, many mishaps and weary wanderings kept him from returning home. As time went on and he did not return, many suitors claimed her hand and her kingdom. For a long while she put them off with a plea that she must finish weaving a robe for Laertes, her father-in-law. However, every night she unraveled what she had woven by day, thus remaining faithful to the memory 0f Odysseus and steadfast to the sanctity of her home.

Finally, Odysseus appeared after an absence of twenty years to reclaim his wife, his throne, and his home. In the name of our Order, the Daughters of Penelope, the word Penelope symbolizes all the noble virtues, of kindness, tolerance, unselfishness, truth, goodness, beauty, self-improvement, purity, loyalty, and patience, which were evident in the character of Penelope. As her Daughters, we strive to exemplify and uphold these same values in today's world.

Antiklea Projects and Events:

Red Tent Project for Homeless Women

Koulourakia Baking

Holy Land Crafts Booth

Tsourekia, Koulourakia, and Psalms CD Sale

New Year’s Vasilopita Sale


Charities that DOP Supports: 

Daughters of Penelope Foundation, Inc. Scholarships
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Mobile, AL
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Brockton, MA
Penelopean Foundation Day Care Center: Athens, Greece
University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Research Center
Saint Basil Academy-Home for young children  

Chapter Officers for 2024-2025

Connie Chavez, President

Patty Leto, Vice President

Tammy Sotos, Recording & Corresponding Secretary

Kathy Bazianos, Treasurer