NONPROFIT NEWS: AKA chapter works to provide scholarships and community programming

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Tau Omega Chapter, are shown during their Harlem Renaissance Gala event. The chapter this year is hosting a Denim & Pearls gala on Oct. 12. [Submitted photo]

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority and was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. There are 1,000 chapters and nearly 300,000 members in more than 55 nations and all 50 United States. For the past 60 years, the Eta Tau Omega Chapter has dedicated itself to making a meaningful impact in Ocala/Marion County through exceptional programming and service projects.

The overall AKA mission is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of “Service to All Mankind.”

The Eta Tau Omega Chapter sponsors several local initiatives, including a monthly Youth Leadership Institute for middle school students at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, the Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (CHIPP) that provides food for students at Reddick Collier Elementary, and environmental efforts such as adopting a section of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and partnering with the Ocala Mayor’s Clean-Up. The chapter also supports Interfaith Emergency Services with food and personal necessities, along with various other activities that benefit the community.

To help raise funds for college scholarships for local high school senior girls and provide these community programs, the chapter will host a Denim & Pearls Gala on Oct. 12 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Ocala.

“Organizing such an impactful event requires significant resources and support. We are working diligently to secure support from community businesses. Over the last 40 years, we have awarded approximately $15,000 annually in scholarships. Our goal this year is $20,000,” noted chapter member Leah Taylor in a news release. “Your support, whether big or small, will make a meaningful difference in the lives of many individuals and families. With your help, our Denim & Pearls Gala will make a difference in our community.”

To learn more about sponsorship and tickets to the gala, email harriet.daniels@gmail.com or bourgesjones@aol.com.