For John Pogas, life’s true purpose revealed itself not in a boardroom but in serving meals to those who had none.
The son of Greek immigrants, Pogas grew up in Philadelphia, where his father ran a diner at 15th and Arch. “The destiny of all Greeks is to go into the diner business,” he says with a smile. “My dad had a diner in Center City. He was a great man, a war hero who served as a translator for the Greek army.” His father’s story was featured in Cosmos Philly’s article Remembering WWII Greek Veteran Anastasios Pogas, which honored his service and his life. His parents arrived from Greece in the 1950s and built a home centered on faith, hard work, and community.
“I grew up at St. George Cathedral like most Greeks in Philadelphia,” he recalls. “That’s where I got my spirit of service, giving back to the church.”
After earning a marketing degree from Temple University, Pogas rose through the corporate ranks, spending 16 years as Vice President of Global E-commerce for the world’s largest insurance brokerage. Yet after years of achievement, he began to feel something was missing. “At that time, I equated wealth with what’s in your bank account, how many square feet your house is, what’s in your driveway,” he says. “Now I equate wealth with what you are doing to serve the Lord and what you are doing to serve others.”
He and his wife, Lynn, who was raised Pennsylvania Dutch but is now, as he says, “more Greek than most Greeks,” became stewards at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Valley Forge 32 years ago. “Our oldest daughter was baptized here,” he says. “That’s how we started coming.” Today, Pogas serves as Parish Council President, while Lynn is active in Philoptochos. “I challenge anyone to make a better spanakopita than Lynn,” he adds with a laugh.
Their parish, he says, is a uniquely welcoming community. “A lot of people who visit for the first time tell us they feel at home right away. We have many blended families and converts. Even our priest is a convert. That’s our strength, bringing people to the faith and making them feel part of the family.”
As Center Director for FOCUS Philadelphia, Pogas leads a pan-Orthodox ministry that provides food, clothing, and compassion to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. When he began, FOCUS served about 30 meals a week in Aviator Park. Today, the ministry provides more than 150 meals each week across two locations. His work was featured in Cosmos Philly’s story The Father’s Table: John Pogas of Philadelphia, which highlighted how he and his volunteers cook warm meals, share smiles, and treat every guest with dignity.
But for Pogas, it has never been just about the numbers. “We put a lot of love into our meals. Most importantly, we give people respect. We treat them as children of God. They’re so grateful, and that smile, that’s what fills you up,” he says. “A priest friend once told me that the times he feels closest to God are when he’s preparing the gifts and when he hands a sandwich to a hungry person. That’s exactly how I feel.”
Since 2021, Pogas has also led volunteer teams from St. Sophia to Project Mexico, where they build homes for families living in poverty. His participation was part of Cosmos Philly’s coverage Bringing Shelter and Hope: Volunteering with Project Mexico, which showed how Orthodox volunteers from across the country come together to give families a place to call home. “We send a team of 10 to 15 people every year,” Pogas says. “We build one home in a week. It’s being the hands and feet of Christ.”
At home, faith and heritage remain at the heart of his life. “Even my Pennsylvania Dutch wife likes to listen to Greek music now,” he says. “We preserve our culture through food, our language, and our faith.” Family gatherings are full of laughter and tradition, especially at Pascha, when the table overflows with lamb, spanakopita, pastitsio, and even mac and cheese. “Faith, heritage, and family, that’s what it’s all about.”
Now in his late fifties, Pogas continues to serve nearly every day of the week, whether he is coordinating volunteers, cooking for the parish festival, or leading a mission trip. “My wife and I joke that we should just buy the house down the street because we’re here so much,” he says. “But this is my happy place, serving in the church, serving those less fortunate. It’s heaven on earth when you walk into our church.”
When asked about the philosophy that guides his life, he doesn’t hesitate. “Your time here on earth is limited. Your time in heaven is an eternity. Make the most of your time here.”
For John Pogas, serving others is not just an act of faith. It is the measure of a life well lived.
This article and interview were made possible through the support of the Greek American Heritage Society of Philadelphia.