Working to Preserve Our Heritage: The Incredible Legacy of Greek-American Community Services

On a cold and snowy evening in December 1982, motivated by the lofty Hellenic ideals of philotimo and philoxenia, a diverse and dynamic group of Greek Americans launched a groundbreaking movement that forever changed the landscape of Chicago's Greek community. Forty years later, John Psiharis, with substantial involvement from Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos, the co-founders of Greek-American Community Services (GACS), recounts how this eclectic cadre of Hellenes helped ignite a renaissance in Chicago's Greek Community and heighten Greek participation within the broader community. This book, the first in the "Hellenism in the Heartland" series, meticulously details the incredible legacy of GACS, which in its day, celebrated, promoted, and preserved Greek American cultural heritage through far-ranging public programs in the arts and humanities, touched the lives of thousands through its social services, introduced adult day care as a viable care option for the community, helped build better interethnic understanding and cooperation, and gave birth to the committee that established Chicago's Greek-American Nursing Home. The early years of the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly (CLESE), an organization GACS played a key role in launching, are also described. Extensive research and insider accounts offer a unique glimpse into the inner workings of this trailblazing organization then lauded as "a leading example of the very best our community has to offer." Enhanced with photos and ephemera, the book includes a comprehensive who's who and chronological history of GACS. The hardcover book includes a comprehensive index for easy reference.