National Projects
Daughters of Penelope National Projects
At the 2025 Supreme Convention in Orlando, Florida, the Daughters of Penelope selected two mandatory projects and two voluntary charitable projects for the 2025-2026 National Obligations year.
Permanent Obligations:
- Domestic Family Violence Center: Penelope House, Mobile, AL
- Domestic Family Violence Center: Penelope's Place, Brockton, MA
- Penelopean Day Care Center - Athens, Greece
Mandatory Obligations:
- Water by Women (aka Water with Blessings)
- Community House Damaris – Athens, Greece
Voluntary Obligations:
- Greeks for Good
- Open Door
Description of Permanent Obligations
Penelope House Family Violence Center - www.penelopehouse.org - Penelope House, the first shelter for battered women and children in Alabama, was founded under the direction of the Daughters of Penelope Chapter in 1978. Penelope House was one of the first such shelters in the nation and has served as a model for many shelters in the U.S. Penelope House helps victims of domestic violence to gain social and economic independence through shelter, counseling, advocacy and referral to community resources and agencies Click here to view a video presentation of Penelope House.
The 24-hour crisis lines provide counseling, information and referral services to families in abusive situations. Penelope House provides shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. Victims are provided a safe place to stay while assessing their life situation and setting goals for the future. Financial support to Penelope House helps saves lives of victims of domestic violence's and their children and helps provide them needed services.
Penelope's Place Family Violence Center - Penelope's Place, a collaboration between the Daughters of Penelope and Health Imperatives (https://healthimperatives.org/ ) is a 24/7 emergency residence in the City of Brockton, MA, for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Residents live at Penelope's Place for an average of 90 days. During that time Penelope's Place staff provides a safe place for healing from the trauma of domestic violence. Each resident is assigned to a primary staff person, who works with the resident and her family to develop goals to achieve self-sufficiency upon leaving Penelope's Place. Services provided include counseling, housing, legal and medical advocacy, life skills, parenting skills, and job coaching. In addition, children receive services from a specialized child therapist. Penelope's Place can accommodate up to five families at any time. Click here to learn more about Penelope’s Place.
Penelopean Day Care Center in Athens, Greece - Located in Nea Ionia in Greece, the center is a Nursing and Day Care Center for Children eight months to preschool aged children of underprivileged families with low or no income. Click here to view a video presentation of the Penelopean Day Care Center.
Description of Mandatory Projects
Water by Women (aka Water with Blessings) - www.waterbywomen.org/ - For remote/underserved communities in developing countries. We equip, empower and entrust mothers as Water Women who serve their families and neighbors by filtering water through Sawyer PointONE bucket filters.
In the USA they distribute filters to Native Americans, Appalachian communities, and survivors of natural disasters to ensure that their families are drinking safe water in any circumstance. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Water By Women sent 6,500 water filters to Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Community House Damaris - https://www.damaris.gr/about Community House Damaris (CHD) is a Christian organization that operates a safe house based in Athens, Greece and offers a long-term recovery program (3-7 years) for women age 18 to 35 and their children who have been or are at high risk of sexual exploitation or trafficking. The program is designed to guide survivors into full rehabilitation and reintegration into society by addressing mental health, poverty, social services, health, and personal development.
Description of Voluntary Projects
Greeks for Good - "Greeks for Good" is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing essential goods like food, money, and toys to those facing challenges, emphasizing the Greek culture. They aim to make a difference in the lives of families in need. Greeks for Good NC was started in the aftermath of Helene which devastated Western North Carolina communities. Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GreeksForGoodBoone/ and website: https://www.greeksforgoodnc.com/
Open Door - https://www.eps-ath.gr/ - The goals of Cerebral Palsy Greece/Open Door were and are the development and systematic provision of diverse services, programs and activities aimed at addressing needs, improving situations and promoting the interests of people with cerebral palsy in Greece. Over 4,000 families have been served over the years and at least 240 people of all ages attend the programs offered by the Open Door Model Education and Rehabilitation Center every day.
With education in its broadest form, with medical monitoring and therapeutic, social and recreational support, with vocational training and rehabilitation, creative activities and temporary and permanent accommodation, an approach is achieved that touches every aspect of the life of the person with cerebral palsy.