“They were beaten, tarred, feathered and, in some cases, run out of towns,” Mr. Karampas said..

        Not too long after the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed to fight the same bigotry, Greek immigrants formed the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA).

        “By 1922, a group of Greeks in Atlanta said enough and sent out a call to all their compatriots to band together to teach immigrants English, educate them, find them jobs, and most importantly show them how to be good Americans working within the American system,” Mr. Karampas said.

        Liberty Chapter No. 127 was formed in Cincinnati in 1928. Mr. Karampas is president of the chapter.

        He said AHEPA has been so successful in achieving its goals that it began to search for other worthy causes. That cause has been philanthropy.

        “Over the years, philanthropy has been a major work of AHEPA,” he said.

        The chapter is building its first AHEPA Senior Citizens Apartment Building, through a $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

        The three-story, mostly brick building will house 48 seniors. It is located in Miami Township. The AHEPA Inc. is the owner corporation.

        “No one from the owner corporations is compensated. It is strictly volunteer work with emphasis on community service,” he said.

        The building will be ready by Thanksgiving.

        Mr Karampas said 64 similar units with AHEPA names are all over the country, working under HUD grants.

        AHEPA has applied for another HUD grant to build a seniors apartment in Forest Park, Mr. Karampas said.

        Other projects include:

        • Construction of 400-bed hospitals in Athens and Salonica, Greece.

        • Funding the Dr. George Papanicolaou Cancer Research Institute in Miami.

        • $1 million to help restore the Statue of Liberty.

        • Sponsoring nurse exchange programs.

        For information, call Mr Karampas at 232-1435.

        While studying to be a licensed social worker at Xavier University, Arica Little , 23, developed a special interest in helping the poor. She worked tirelessly through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, tutoring and visiting nursing homes .

        Now a licensed social worker and adoption coordinator with Catholic Social Services, she and eight other young adults have started a St. Vincent de Paul Frassati Conference — named after Pier Giorgio Frassati, who started a St. Vincent de Paul Conference in Italy to help the poor.

        “This is a continuation of what we did in college,” Ms Little said. “We plan to make home visits to help poor with rent or groceries and to assess their needs during the visit.”

        If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements or people, let Al Howard know by calling 768-8362 or e-mail ahoward@enquirer.com or fax 768-8340.

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