Altruistic Projects

Altruism

“Around the world, members combine their energies and talents to enrich their lives and the lives of others through thousands of heart-warming community based altruistic projects. Because of these projects, it is a brighter day…” ~Alpha Delta Kappa Handbook

Tennessee Sisters “Share the Love”

TN Alpha Theta

Members of TN Alpha Theta chapter made a generous donation of books, bags and blankets to the Isaiah 117 House of Cleveland, TN. Isaiah 117 House provides physical and emotional support for children awaiting foster care placement. Pictured L to R: Jennifer Bennett and Brette Schroll of TN Alpha Theta chapter, and Renee Curry, Cleveland’s Isaiah 117 House Director.

TN Alpha Beta

The sisters of TN Alpha Beta gathered to fill six bags with assorted toiletries for their Books, Bags and Blankets project. This project was created by the Tennessee Executive Board to provide for children who are often placed in foster care with no belongings. Each child is given a blanket, toiletries and an age appropriate book. The bags are delivered to a local organization for distribution.

TN Alpha Theta

To honor the seventy-fourth anniversary of the founding of Alpha Delta Kappa, and to show their appreciation to their actively teaching members, the retired members of TN Alpha Theta presented bouquets of flowers to the members still in the classroom. Pictured are Missy Brandy, Jennifer Bennett and Julie Mitchell.

TN Chi

TN Chi members made and donated over 45 pillows to be given to patients at the Mary Ellen Locher Breast Cancer Center at the Chi Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. Members cut the heart shaped pillows out of colorful fabric, sewed and stuffed them. This project was suggested by Pat Coggin, who recently received her own pillow.

TN Alpha Chi

Becky Burroughs, TN Alpha Chi’s chapter president, is shown with donations for Brooks House, a transitional, non-emergency shelter in Lebanon, Tennessee. The house has ten bedrooms, shared bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and family room to accommodate 28 women and children. Participants are provided with meals, warmth in cold weather and some respite from the summer heat in a safe, comfortable and caring temporary shelter.

TN Gamma

Tennessee Gamma chapter presented $365 in gift cards to the Blount County Isaiah 117 House at their unofficial Isaiah 117 Day. A special outdoor prayer time was held to bless the land where the construction of the house was scheduled to occur.

In the first week of school, New Jersey Epsilon retirees gave a pot holder that said, “Today is full of possibilities,” two candy bars and an inspirational note to all the returning teachers. The teachers said it made their day.

CA Beta Kappa

The sisters of CA Beta Kappa work closely with the Viola Blythe Center in Newark, CA to help families in need. They collected and delivered groceries for a Thanksgiving dinner, and last January they donated sleeping bags, gloves and socks for the homeless in the area. The chapter’s winter altruistic project was to sponsor a family through the center. Last year, the sponsored family had five children under the age of 12. The members shopped for and wrapped gifts that fulfilled the wishes and needs of the parents and the children.

TX Zeta Theta

Newly chartered TX Zeta Theta chapter members, along with friends, raised over $1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Association in the September Katy Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Ontario Psi

For the past three years, Ontario Psi has partnered with Brock University to honor a graduating teacher candidate “who has exemplified overall excellence in their final teacher training year.” Sarah Helmers received the $500 award for the 20202021 year. The award presentation was delayed until after Sarah gave birth to her first child. Giselle Whyte and Mary Johnson of the chapter’s award committee delivered the check and the chapter’s traditional Certificate of Educational Excellence. Psi plans to continue its educational partnership with Brock University’s Faculty of Education.

MI Gamma Alpha

Jamie McCrum, Houghton Middle School teacher, smiles after receiving one of the 459 appreciation gift bags MI Gamma Alpha gave to the teachers in the chapter’s 2500 square mile area.

By Nancy Walpole, Mexico Gamma

The plight of migrants and asylum seekers along the MexicoU.S. border has been much in the news recently. Less well-known is the precarious condition of more than seven million Mexican farmworkers who labor seasonally in Mexican fields and are constantly moving to different areas of the country where planting or harvesting is needed.

These agricultural laborers do not own their own land or have a fixed income, nor do they have a permanent home. Being a migrant farmworker is a social condition that passes from generation to generation. Children move around with their parents, grow up, get married, have their own children and then continue in the same work.

Women not only work in the fields but they must also deal with organizing homelife as they move from place to place. Some of them use small plots of land to grow produce for their own families while others embroider as a way to augment the family income.

Mexico Eta is in Cuernavaca in the state of Morelos, a major producer of corn, beans, chilies, pumpkins, onions, herbs, sugar cane and flowers. The cultivation of these crops is done primarily by Mexican migrant farmworkers.

Eta sisters found a way to bring some joy into the lives of the children of the farmworkers. They proposed a drive for toys in a shoe-box, which was enthusiastically embraced by volunteers from the community as well as Gamma and Epsilon chapters in Mexico City. Eta teamed up with the Rotary Club of Cuernavaca to help with the project aimed primarily at children from Jonacatepec, one of the towns most affected by the September earthquake of 2017.

The toys brought huge smiles from the 600 children who received their shoe boxes in Christmas 2018. The success of the first campaign encouraged the members of A∆K to continue the project In 2019 over 900 toys and books were donated, topped by 1000 in 2000. The goal for this year is 1,300 for children in Morelos.

The toy drive continues, but Eta is now exploring ways to meet the children’s urgent educational needs such as child centers or schools that meet the needs of the children. Through cooperation with the rural schools in the area or with some type of homeschooling available to migrant families these needs could be met.

Alpha Delta Kappa’s assistance in developing educational solutions would help break the cycle of poverty that follows farm workers and their children it would be a true example of world understanding.

Nancy Walpole is a past AΔK Mexico President. Information in the article was part of Mexico National President Marli Camargo’s convention presentation,“Promoting Altruism in the Community.”