Extol June-July 2018 | Page 14

EXAMPLE Serving With ‘Charity and Kindness’ Tri Kappa Inc. Has Benefited Indiana Community Since 1901 BY LISA HORNUNG | PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN WATSON =TAMMY PERSINGER, now a retired teacher and real estate agent, kept hearing women at work talking about Tri Kappa. “What is that?” she asked. “How can people get involved?” One day, Persinger received an invitation in the mail to go to a meeting where she could learn more about this mysterious organization. She’s been a member for eight years now and loves it. Tri Kappa is a philanthropic sorority for women in Indiana, with 247 chapters all over the state. It’s 12 EXTOL : JUNE/JULY 2018 not like a traditional sorority in which you join as a college student, but you do have to pledge and be initiated, similar to other women’s groups. “You approach someone who is already a member and get information about it,” Persinger said. “We really look for people that have that giving spirit.” Persinger is a member of the Floyd County chapter of Kappa, Kappa, Kappa Inc., along with Kerry Nicolas, a real estate agent who has been a member for 25 years. “I like it because we’re giving back to the community, and it’s strictly philanthropic,” Nicolas said. “So, all we do is have fundraisers to give back.” Tri Kappa was founded by some young college women in Indianapolis in 1901. They decided their organization’s purpose would be “charity and kindness,” which the organization still follows today. When the ladies dispersed to their homes after college, they formed chapters, which helped the organization spread throughout the state.