Sorority wins award for community volunteer work
Chris Russell
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News
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Drexel University's Gamma Sigma Sigma sorority received the Margaret M. Linton first-place award for Outstanding Collegiate Chapter at its 2007 national convention.
The Zeta Chapter, to which Gamma Sigma Sigma belongs, is the oldest of 60 collegiate chapters of the organization that emphasizes volunteerism.
What differentiates this organization is that their main objective is to serve.
"It is not a social sorority," Jill Socoloski, chapter president, said.
Gamma Sigma Sigma requires their members to maintain good academic standings, pay club dues and perform at least 12 hours of service each term. There are various activities to become involved with to meet this quota, including events like "Books Through Bars," volunteering at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Cobbs Creek Cleanup.
"Books Through Bars" takes book donations and redistributes them to inmates nationwide, CHOP visits include watching and playing with hospitalized patients, and the Cobbs Creek Cleanup helps restore and plant more trees in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia.
These activities played a large part in the decision to give Gamma Sigma Sigma the award, Socoloski said.
Gamma Sigma Sigma continues to find annual and new events to become involved with. In the upcoming months, they will begin fundraising by holding a bake sale as well as by participating in the Philadelphia AIDS Walk.
This year, they will focus especially on projects that deal with cancer and hunger. Gamma Sigma Sigma will be gathering food and money donations for WMMR radio show Preston & Steve's "Camp Out for Hunger" event, and all proceeds will go to Philabundance, a local food shelter and distributor.
Another new activity for the sorority will be earning Red Cross certifications to help with blood donations.
Keri Antonucci, the service vice president, said that every small action is important. Both Antonucci and Socoloski agreed that seeing the person being helped allows the volunteer to get more out of an experience than he or she put in.
Antonucci recalled a short visit to the children's hospital and the reaction she received from one of the children's parents.
"[It was] the best two hours of my day that she was grateful that I could help," she said.
Both Socoloski and Antonucci urged that women who would like to volunteer should consider joining their organization.
Gamma Sigma Sigma actively searches for new community service projects regularly, so there is always a "broad array of service opportunities," Antonucci said.
The Zeta Chapter, to which Gamma Sigma Sigma belongs, is the oldest of 60 collegiate chapters of the organization that emphasizes volunteerism.
What differentiates this organization is that their main objective is to serve.
"It is not a social sorority," Jill Socoloski, chapter president, said.
Gamma Sigma Sigma requires their members to maintain good academic standings, pay club dues and perform at least 12 hours of service each term. There are various activities to become involved with to meet this quota, including events like "Books Through Bars," volunteering at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Cobbs Creek Cleanup.
"Books Through Bars" takes book donations and redistributes them to inmates nationwide, CHOP visits include watching and playing with hospitalized patients, and the Cobbs Creek Cleanup helps restore and plant more trees in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia.
These activities played a large part in the decision to give Gamma Sigma Sigma the award, Socoloski said.
Gamma Sigma Sigma continues to find annual and new events to become involved with. In the upcoming months, they will begin fundraising by holding a bake sale as well as by participating in the Philadelphia AIDS Walk.
This year, they will focus especially on projects that deal with cancer and hunger. Gamma Sigma Sigma will be gathering food and money donations for WMMR radio show Preston & Steve's "Camp Out for Hunger" event, and all proceeds will go to Philabundance, a local food shelter and distributor.
Another new activity for the sorority will be earning Red Cross certifications to help with blood donations.
Keri Antonucci, the service vice president, said that every small action is important. Both Antonucci and Socoloski agreed that seeing the person being helped allows the volunteer to get more out of an experience than he or she put in.
Antonucci recalled a short visit to the children's hospital and the reaction she received from one of the children's parents.
"[It was] the best two hours of my day that she was grateful that I could help," she said.
Both Socoloski and Antonucci urged that women who would like to volunteer should consider joining their organization.
Gamma Sigma Sigma actively searches for new community service projects regularly, so there is always a "broad array of service opportunities," Antonucci said.
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