TCNJ FSL Service Stories 2014 April 2014 | Page 7

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Kappa Delta

"When people think about the idea of a sorority, the stereotype is not always a positive one. It seems like people think of girls who party a lot and pay for friendships, when studies have found that fraternity or sorority members form the largest network of volunteers in the US and that they give approximately 10 million hours of community service annually (UMKC Fraternity & Sorority Affairs). I never realized before how important they work we do is until this year (my third year) and being elected to Vice President of Community Service of the Zeta Theta chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority at The College of New Jersey. Our two philanthropies we work with are the Girl Scouts of the USA and Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). As the VP- Community Service I am in charge of putting on all of our Community Service Events held.

Kappa Delta just held our 5th annual 5K Shamrock N Run and 1 Mile Fun Run at Mercer County Park where we were able to raise over $3000 with approximately 300 people in attendance. I have attended three of our Shamrock 5K events and I never realized how special and important this cause is to Kappa Delta. The highlight of my day was during the middle of the chaos of running around, getting things organized, and greeting people that came out to support us, I took a step back and took a deep breath. As I looked around, a beautiful breezy day, music and laughter filled the air, and all you saw were smiles. It was then and there I knew we truly were making a difference. Not only were we raising funds in which we would donate to PCAA and PCA-NJ but we put on an event that everyone was truly enjoying themselves.

Working with the Girl Scouts is truly my favorite part of my position. Something unique about our philanthropy work is that it is completely hands on with the Girl Scouts. Instead of handing them a check, we will donate hours of our time to help guide the young girls of our future. We just recently held a Girl Scout day on campus called “Barbie, I Can Be.” This event was for kindergarteners through third grade to encourage them to continue their education and follow their dreams to becoming anything want when they grow up. The Girl Scouts came dressed as their dream profession and we held workshops showcasing jobs such as a doctor or nurse, a scientist, an architect, and many more! We did activities with the young girls in each of these different job areas to get them interested in the career of their choice. It’s a rewarding day when you hear a first grader say she’s coming to TCNJ and joining Kappa Delta to work with the Girl Scouts one day.

Community service made me fall in love with Kappa Delta again. My position reminded me why I joined in the first place, because everything we do is great and it’s always something I forever want to be a part of. You don’t realize how much of a difference you can make in a week, in a day, or even in a single hour. When life has blessed you with the education you’re getting, the family and friends you have, and living comfortably, it’s important to pay it forward. My college experience has been more than enjoyable with the work Kappa Delta does for our philanthropies and I look forward to all of the events we have in the near future. Greek life allows you to donate your time and effort into making a difference, and such a rewarding difference it is." --Megan Steinberg