Service and Sisterhood
Rome’s Theta Omicron Omega members are committed to the sorority’s mission of helping others.
Members
of Rome’s Theta Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. recently attended the National Biennial meeting of the sorority, the Boule, held in Atlanta July 9-14 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Nearly 22,000 sorority members were in attendance. In keeping with its motto, “Service to All Mankind,” sorority members prepared and donated thousands of items to several different service projects, among which were:
— 4,962 backpacks filled with school supplies
— 3,712 seasonal wraps ( coats, gloves, scarves, etc. ) — 3,708 eyeglasses — 41,070 Little Girl Dresses (all made by sorority members) for Africa
In honor of the late Mary Shy Scott, a native Atlantan and the 23rd International President of the sorority, 23 days prior to the start of the convention, members of the sorority undertook and completed 23 service projects, among which were: The revitalizing of several local parks and playgrounds unveiling the first collaborative playground build project with KaBOOM; partnered with local organizations to feed children in two local summer camps while providing information on healthy eating habits and exercise; packaged 100,000 meals to help end world hunger; partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to aid and assist those impacted by mental health changes; joined Health partners to provide free HIV tests; provided training for handsonly CPR; partnered with Operation HOPE to host a half- day summer camp for ASCEND students providing them with the opportunity to learn the language of money and to become empowered to take control of their financial future; recycled, cleaned and repaired gently used eyewear for distribution and assembled hygiene kits for atrisk children and youth, just to name a few.
The national theme for this Boule Gathering was: “Launching New Dimensions of Service/ Celebrating a Legacy of Sisterhood and Worldwide Impact” and under the leadership of its International President, Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, several Boule Forums were conducted, among which were: Financial, Building and Properties, Historical Black Colleges and Universities: Success Stories, AARP Forum on Caregiving, Take A.C.T.O.N. and Be the Voice, The Strand of Love: Real Talk about 21st Century Dating, Marriage and Friendship and Own- It- In the classroom, on Campus and In your Career. Some 70 workshops were also provided for Boule participants.
Established in 1908 on the Howard University Campus in Washington, D.C., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the first and oldest AfricanAmerican Greek letter organization. Since its founding, the sorority has flourished into a globally- impactful organization of over 283,000 college-trained members with 993 chapters “bound by bonds of sisterhood and empowered by a commitment to servant-leadership that is both domestic and international in its scope”.
Each year its members give over 1.5 million service hours to meet the needs of its communities.
Locally, Theta Omicron Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has 67 members and under the leadership of its president, Angela Campbell, is actively engaged in carrying out the mission of the organization.
Ongoing service projects include: Backpack Buddies (Childhood Hunger Initiative); Rites-of-Passage for Girls; Adult Literacy; Family Seasonal Wraps; MLK Day of Service; AKA Day at the Capitol; American Heart Month; Playground Revitalization Project; Can Food Drive; Christmas Angel Tree; Family Adoptions at Thanksgiving and Christmas; Arbor Day Observance; Battered Women’s Shelter; Pretty Girl Basket Preparation; Relay for Life; Volunteerism for Habitat for Humanity; The Longest Day (Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk); Women Health Fairs; Biennial Lords and Ladies Scholarship Cotillion (In 2015, awarded over $ 20,000 in scholarships to area youth); Mental Illness Awareness Month (In partnership with N.A.M.I.) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month ( In 2015 donated bras to recyclying centers for Breast Cancer Survivors). Service areas include: Floyd, Polk, Bartow and Carroll counties. McKensey Wheeler, VicePresident, serves as Service Projects Coordinator.
Local sorority members in attendance at this year’s Boule were Angela Campbell; Dr. Sherri Garrett; Portia Ellis; Daphnie Morrison; Henrice Berrien; Sylvia Morgan; Mary Callins; Laney Stevenson; Loretta Parks; Dr. Jackie Michael; Dr. Tasha Toy-Berrien; Claudia Freeman; Gail Veal; Lisa Johnson; Elaina Beeman; Dr. Shanell Butler; Alecia Chubb; Dr. Andrea Dabney; Betty Dean; Dr. Clarice Ford; Barbara Green; Vicki Hadley; Marcheria Jessie; Karla Kincade; Kristy Lee; Meredith Lily, Esq.; Agnes McCleave; Anice Moore; Ruby Morgan; Yvonne Prater; Sandra Roberts; Kimiko Sanders; Sonja Wright Smith; Monique Thomas; Shalicia Thomas; Sherry Turner; Carsandra Wiggins and Nikema Williams.