The John and Helen Apostle Scholarship Fund
The John and Helen Apostle Scholarship Fund aids transitional age foster youth in achieving their educational or vocational aspirations. John and Helen first got involved with the Foundation through Trinity Youth Service’s Long Beach foster care office, where their church was an active supporter.
John was born in Greece and migrated as a young man to the United States. Helen was born in Fresno, CA of Greek heritage. They were very active in the Greek community and Helen spent many years on the Parrish Council of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Long Beach, CA.
John was a self-made man who came to this country for better opportunities, and he brought with him an entrepreneurial spirit. With one of his brothers, he operated the popular King Arthur’s Steakhouse in Long Beach for a number of years. In the 1960’s John purchased the not yet completed Golden Sails Inn on Pacific Coast Highway in east Long Beach. Once the complex was completed, he and Helen operated it for over two decades, both working daily at the Inn. At the time, it was the most desirable location for wedding receptions and events.
Starting in the 1980’s, Helen and her church group hosted Christmas parties, providing gifts and food for foster children. She always had a concern for what happened to the children when they aged-out of the system. With this concern in mind, Helen, established a scholarship fund through the Children’s Foundation of America in the early 2000’s when John passed away. In her husband’s memory, she named it the John Apostle Scholarship Fund. Each year, Helen would call the Foundation to check on the scholarship recipients to make sure they had everything they needed. She was deeply invested in ensuring these children, many of whom had no familial support whatsoever, had every opportunity to lead successful, productive lives.
Helen passed away in 2017 and it was her wish to continue her and her husband’s support of children in need. Having no children of their own and living frugally, it was their desire to leave their estate in a charitable foundation to benefit the community, needy children and the elderly. It is with this wish in mind that the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation conducts its activities and has granted the continuation of funds to this scholarship renamed in both John and Helen’s memory.
The John and Helen Apostle Scholarship Fund assists up to four youth annually by granting awards of up to $5,000 each, per year to assist with tuition fees, books, supplies, living expenses and more. The actual award amount is at the Scholarship Committees’ discretion. Applicants for the scholarship must be between 16 and 24 years old, be a current or former Trinity Youth Services client who is successfully completing or successfully completed the program with a positive release, completed high school with a 2.0 grade point average or achieved a GED, is enroll in college or trade school or is working full time and plans to continue their education. Applications are provided to foster youth through Trinity Youth Services’ program.
Donations may be made to The John and Helen Apostle Scholarship Fund by clicking the donate button or mail a check payable to Children’s Foundation of America to P.O. Box 1210, Claremont, CA 91711 and specify “Apostle Scholarship” in the memo.