Collegiate Community Service Awards
The community service awards were first awarded in 2006 and are designed to recognize collegians who have demonstrated outstanding initiative in their community through philanthropic acts and who have a strong commitment to enriching the lives of those less fortunate. The Kappa Delta Foundation will award a monetary contribution to the non-profit organization of the selected nominee honoring her leadership and commitment. This year’s recipients were chosen from among a group of applicants that were simply outstanding.
The 2010 Collegiate Community Service Award Winners are:
Julie Knox, Sigma Kappa – Ohio State, and the Westside Boys & Girls Club of Ohio. ($1000) - As Director of Service for the Panhellenic Association, Julie established a collaborative relationship with the Boys & Girls Club in Ohio; she planned an Alternative Spring Break trip for women from the Panhellenic Association to volunteer at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center in New York City and organized ServQuad. She is currently designing a program to showcase a week of Womens’ Empowerment and planning a weekend camping trip sponsored by the Greek community for the Boys & Girls Club. Julie volunteers as a Sunday school teacher for a local church, and serves as a mentor to fifth grade girls through the University’s Social Emerson Project. She has participated in a mission trip to Kenya, Africa and organized a Fireman’s Breakfast for the local firemen. Julie was a recipient of a Volunteer of the Year Award in 2008 from the Ohio State Greek Awards and was accepted into the Order of Omega.
Michelle Kosner, Eta Beta – Bradley and Paws Giving Independence ($500) - Michelle, with the help of a fellow sister, started her own non-profit organization – Paws Giving Independence. This organization trains service dogs to help people with disabilities and is unique in that it uses dogs that have been rescued from shelters and places them with individuals free of charge, unlike other programs which charge thousands of dollars for these types of services. This year, Paws for Independence has rescued six dogs from the animal shelter and placed them in foster homes in the Peoria, IL area. They have arranged weekly training classes for the foster homes to learn how to train their dogs. The training includes learning help people in wheelchairs and learn how to open doors, turn on lights, and pick up dropped items, along with assisting in other daily living skills for their owners. In addition, Michelle volunteers with Easter Seals in their warm water pool therapy program.
Elizabeth Jeans, Alpha Delta - Rhodes College and Prevent Child Abuse America ($250) - Elizabeth is the Kinney Coordinator for the Hunger/Homelessness Program at Rhodes College and plans over 15 different service events each month. These events range from soup kitchens to helping in women’s shelters. Elizabeth created the KD team for the Muscular Dystrophy Walk and is in the process of forming a monthly Alpha Delta Soup Kitchen team. As the volunteer and activity coordinator for the Grizzlies House at St. Jude Research Hospital, Elizabeth has significantly increased the number of volunteers in that program. She is also one of the leaders in the Rhodes’ Women Center, a peer support program for students.
Mary Katherine Wampler, Beta Zeta - South Carolina and the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands ($250) - Mary Katherine began a middle school mentoring program, the Transitional Mentoring Program (TMP), for freshmen students at University of South Carolina who are enrolled in the school’s University 101 course. In conjunction with the USC Psychology Department, Mary Katherine implemented this program and is the head undergraduate advisor. In TMP, University 101 students go into local Columbia middle schools weekly to foster a mentor/mentee relationship in order to increase civic engagement, university connectedness, and emotional intelligence while tailoring to the mentee’s needs. Mary Katherine is also a program coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands and helps lead a program for at-risk middle school students. In addition, Mary Katherine will be going to Kenya, Africa on a mission trip this summer working with the Global Volunteer Network on an HIV/AIDS program. Mary Katherine received the Carolina Service Council Member of the Month award in September 2008.
I would like to nominate myself or another KD collegian for a Collegiate Community Service Award.
For more information on Collegiate Community Service Awards or scholarships, e-mail the Kappa Delta Foundation.