Daughters of Penelope

                

Penelope’s Pen - October 2025                                                                                                                         

Welcome Fall…even though Mother Nature keeps giving us more days of Summer!

Our first meeting was Sunday, September 21st after church. While we did not have a great number of members, we did initiate Mia Spears! We are looking forward to gathering to plan new adventures for a new year.

We sponsored a cultural meet-up in September at the VMFA for the Frida: Beyond the Myth exhibit on September 27th and 28th.

On September 17th we met for our Book Club at The Brick House Diner. The book for September was The Briar Club and while we talked about the book, we also enjoyed excellent food and company. Debbie Kangalaris shared photos of the Massachusetts home that inspired the “house” setting.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 9th at 5:30pm. While we are still planning new adventures for this year, we are looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing coffee and conversation! 

 

Chapter Officers for 2024-2025

Jackie Harmon, President

Connie Chavez, Vice President

Zoe Mouris, Recording Secretary

Shelia Demetriadis, Corresponding Secretary

Kathy Bazianos, Treasurer

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