Throughout the Archdiocese of Greece lines are growing longer with the unemployed, the elderly, children, and helpless people seeking a meal from the Church in their hour of need. Courtesy of the churches and monasteries, it is estimated that 1.5 million people are fed daily. It takes hundreds of thousands of euros to provide this charitable service. For example, Vatopaidi Monastery alone provides 50,000 euros a month to the Archdiocese of Athens to meet these needs, with a total of 800,000 euros in donations to date. The ecclesiastical charity known as "Ark of Love" led by Fr. Antonios also provides significant assistance to over 20 cities in Greece, even providing financial assistance to families who have providers in prison. Besides this, many local churches and monasteries provide their own assistance.
Among the lesser known philanthropic contributors to the charitable needs of the Church of Greece is Hieromonk Nektarios. Fr. Nektarios on a daily basis visits local bakeries in Athens at the end of the day, from 9:30 PM - 1:30 AM, and gathers food that would otherwise be disposed of in order to distribute it, even if it is only one plate of food or one piece of bread. Thousands have been assisted through the efforts of Fr. Nektarios.
