The order of AHEPA was founded in Atlanta, Georgia on July 25, 1922. The founding members were quick to spread their mission throughout the USA, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus. Today there are 365 chapters. However, quick to spread their mission, AHEPA installed 248 chapters in the first seven years of its existence. AHEPA and its Family are proud of the contributions the ancient Greeks gifted to Western civilization. As Americans, we share many of the values/principles put forth by our Hellenic ancestors: civic responsibility, philanthropy, education, family and individual excellence, and ideals of democracy. This is the essence of our heritage. This is the core of our mission. An important component of the AHEPA Family’s mission is to create an awareness of the principles of Hellenism to modern society.  

AHEPA is unique among other organizations due to the creation of the AHEPA family: the Daughters of Penelope, the women’s affiliate of AHEPA was established on November 16, 1929 as the first Greek-American women’s organization in the United States. Today, the Daughters of Penelope has 245 chapters in the US, Canada, and Greece. The Sons of Pericles was established February 3, 1926 and was officially recognized as the Junior Order of AHEPA in 1928. The Maids of Athena was founded on July 5, 1930 as the Junior Women’s Affiliate of the AHEPA Family. AHEPA works as a unit toward the fulfillment of a common mission. Combined, the four organizations have contributed well over $1 billion to national projects throughout their history.   

The Ideals of Ancient Greece  

Members of AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope are proud of the contributions the ancient Greeks gifted to Western civilization. As Americans, we share many of the values put forth by our ancestors: civic responsibility, philanthropy, education, family and individual excellence, and the ideals of democracy. This is the essence of our heritage. This is the core of our mission.

AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) is unique among other organizations due to the creation of the AHEPA Family. Together with its three affiliated organizations (Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles, and Maids of Athena), AHEPA works as a unit toward the fulfillment of a common mission. Combined, the four organizations have contributed well over $1 billion to national projects throughout their history.

The Order of AHEPA was founded in Atlanta, Georgia on July 25, 1922. The founding members were quick to spread the mission of AHEPA throughout the United States, installing 248 chapters in the first seven years of its existence. Today, there are 365 chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus. The Daughters of Penelope, the women’s affiliate of AHEPA was established on November 16, 1929 as the first Greek-American women’s organization in the United States. Today, the Daughters of Penelope has 245 chapters in the US, Canada, and Greece. The Sons of Pericles was established February 3, 1926 and was officially recognized as the Junior Order of AHEPA in 1928. Finally, the Maids of Athena was founded on July 5, 1930 as the Junior Women’s Affiliate of the AHEPA Family.

Missions of the AHEPA Family include Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence.  

Hellenism

An important component of the AHEPA Family’s mission is to create an awareness of the principles of Hellenism to modern society. These principles include a commitment to humanity, freedom, and democracy. The AHEPA Family has been, and indeed always will be, deeply devoted to the preservation and promotion of these ideals. Both AHEPA and its Family strive to advance and cultivate a focus on Hellenic culture, and to promote a deeper understanding of the accurate history of Greece and its people.

The New Smyrna Odyssey Memorial in Ormond Beach, Florida is one such project. At local levels, members continually support Greek Schools and programs that preserve cultural history through folk dancing, art, and the music unique to various villages and islands of Greece. A major project born in District One was the “TRIBUTE to Hellenism and Olympics” sculpture which was placed in Centennial Olympic Park in celebration of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. This was a gift to the city of Atlanta from Greek-Americans and Philhellenes and was made possible through the AHEPA Centennial Foundation, an organization formed by visionary Ahepans for the purpose of raising funds to bring this dream to fruition. In addition to these projects, the Daughters of Penelope continue to make their own contributions to the mission of promoting Hellenism; in 1983, they embarked on a Greek Immigrant Oral History study which placed an oral history tape collection of first generation Greek-American women in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, at the University of Minnesota, and at the Library of the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece. This project was groundbreaking in that the Daughters of Penelope is the first ethnic organization to submit oral history tapes to the Library of Congress.

Education 

The AHEPA Family's commitment to education has been well documented throughout its history and is one of its primary concerns. Over $4 million is endowed at the local, district, and national levels for scholarships and a half-million dollars is awarded annually in scholarships for both financial need and academic achievement. Thousands of young men and women have benefited as recipients of AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope scholarships at these various levels. The scholarship programs at the national level are administered by the AHEPA National Educational Foundation and the Daughters of Penelope Foundation. Both offer scholarships to a wide variety of students. The AHEPA Family District No. 1 Educational Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization with over $400,000 in endowments. Recipients are traditional and non-traditional students, including seminarians and those entering Holy Cross Greek School of Theology, as well as high school seniors, college and postgraduate students who are looking to become tomorrow’s leaders.

The preservation of Hellenic or Classical Studies programs on college campuses is another important issue for the AHEPA Educational Foundation. A subcommittee of the Foundation, the Hellenic Cultural Commission, actively works to support the study of the Classics at universities. In addition, educational programs are also sponsored by the Foundation, such as “Journey to Greece,” allowing American students to tour Greece and study its culture and history, as well as providing internships in our nation's capital.

Besides their successful scholarship program, the Daughters of Penelope Foundation provides funding for seminars and other educational activities, including the ongoing Children’s Literacy Project, which was initiated in 2002. 

Philanthropy

The very meaning of the word philanthropy is rooted in the Hellenic ideal of “love of people.” Therefore, it is natural for the AHEPA Family to be the leading Greek-American organization of philanthropic endeavors throughout the world. From national disaster relief to raising funds for the elimination of life-threatening diseases, as well as making significant contributions to our local neighborhoods, the AHEPA Family is at the forefront of charitable giving.

AHEPA philanthropic deeds are evident in the care packages sent to our troops in cooperation with the USO and in the building of healthcare facilities in Greece. One of the crowning achievements of the Daughters of Penelope is Penelope House, a shelter for battered women in Mobile, Alabama, sponsored by the local Daughters Chapter and supported by the entire AHEPA Family. It is the first shelter for battered women and their children in the state. Both AHEPA and the Daughters worked in support of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and also raised funds to build dormitories and other structures on the campus of St. Basil’s Academy, a children’s home in Garrison, New York. Work continues in raising funds to aid research for Cooley’s anemia, the Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and countless other charitable projects undertaken every year by local chapters and districts.

Civic Responsibility 

As Greek-Americans and Philhellenes it is our civic responsibility to search for a just and peaceful resolution to the crisis in Cyprus and the protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by creating an awareness of these issues to our elected officials and to diplomatic leaders worldwide. AHEPA and the Daughters of Penelope educate its constituents about these and other issues which threaten freedom and democracy both at home and abroad through seminars and conferences, providing expert panelists from the U.S. government, prominent Washington, DC Think-Tank organizations, and the business world. Numerous voter registration campaigns throughout the country are spearheaded by chapters in the AHEPA Family.

Furthermore, AHEPA keeps a watchful eye on Congress with its Congressional Scorecard, a tool that evaluates each member of Congress on Greek-American issues. The Daughters of Penelope took a giant step this past year with their Civic Responsibility Campaign, as Daughters visited with members of Congress to discuss Daughters of Penelope programs in the areas of senior housing, education and literacy, medical research, and domestic violence. The AHEPA Family sponsored “Capitol Hill Day” in March of this year, which enabled members of all four organizations of the AHEPA Family to meet with their congressmen.

Finally, it is our civic responsibility to provide affordable housing to our senior citizens. The AHEPA National Housing Corporation is dedicated to this most worthy cause. The Housing Corporation boasts 86 senior housing facilities in 22 states, providing over 4,400 Apartments for seniors, with more under construction.

Family and Individual Excellence  

A focus on family values resulted in the formation of the AHEPA Family from its very beginning. All four organizations have helped to defray the mortgages and bills on many churches, including the St. Photios National Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, and continue to contribute over $1 million annually to Greek Orthodox Communities through local chapters.

The AHEPA Family celebrates excellence in all fields of endeavor. The Biennial AHEPA Congressional Banquet honors members of Congress and those who helped the Greek-American Community. The Daughters of Penelope Salute to Women honors a woman who has made great contributions to society through her chosen field. At Chapter, District, and National levels, the AHEPA Family recognizes and applauds the efforts of its members, selecting Ahepan and Penelope of the Year. Our District #1 recognizes dedication and leadership annually with the selection of recipients for the Periclean Award, Plato Award, and Ahepan Family of the Year.

We admire those who love the thrill of competition and excel under those circumstances, much like our ancestors of Ancient Greece who fostered the spirit of the Olympic Games. The AHEPA Hellenic Hall of Fame and the National Sports Awards Luncheon, held annually at the National Convention, are ways in which the AHEPA Family honors those individuals.