Theme Session - Fr. Justin Mathews

Fr. Justin Matthews is the Executive Director and CEO of Focus North America, a domestic social ministry outreach.

From an interview in The Handmaiden magazine, on FOCUS North America (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve):

Working primarily in the areas of Food, Occupations, Clothing, Understanding and Shelter (FOCUS), the mission of FOCUS North America is to express Christ’s love for our neighbors in North America—the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, strangers, and those in prison (Matt. 25).

To accomplish this mission FOCUS North America will:
Serve those in need, by providing aid through our programs and partners,
Support Orthodox Christian social action ministries, agencies, professionals, and volunteers; and
Supply parishes and others with the education, resources, and training needed to initiate social action ministries in their own communities.

As Orthodox Christians, our mission and priorities were given by Christ—to love God and to love our neighbor, to care for and tend to those in need around us. Each person we meet is a living and real icon that should be venerated and shown respect just as we venerate the icons in church, because we were made in the image of God. How we treat the hungry, the poor, the homeless, the addicted, the stranger has everything to do with our salvation and our life in Christ.

source: FOCUS North America website