From Harvesters to MDA: the organizations backed by Jewell Greek organizations

Philanthropy is an important aspect of the Greek community at William Jewel College. A night is devoted to philanthropy during recruitment and events are held throughout the year in order to raise money for the different charities. WJC’s seven Greek chapters support seven different philanthropies by raising funds and awareness for the organizations.

Alpha Delta Pi’s national philanthropy is the Ronald McDonald House Charity. This organization provides housing for families with children receiving medical treatment. Often, the children have to be in the hospital for a long period of time, and the child’s family is already finicially strained due to medical bills. RMHC offers housing near the hospitalized child and also helps with travel expenses for families who must commute from nearby cities. The charity also has mobile units, which offer immunizations and other services to low-income communities, and family rooms, which offer a resting place for families while they are in the hospital. RMHC chapters can be found in 62 countries near 89 percent of major children’s hospitals. The organization has provided funds to nearly nine-million families and continues to grow and create new locations every year.

The Kappa Alpha Order supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association. MDA raises awareness and funds for neuromuscular diseases like congenital muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Since MDA supports a variety of causes, the charity has a variety of events. Some include annual walks, bowling tournaments, selling paper shamrocks in schools and businesses, providing free educational resources for schools and organizations, and holding summer camps for kids with muscular diseases. They were also the group behind the ice bucket challenge, which raised awareness and money for ALS. MDA has provided funding to over 200 clinics and funds numerous research grants worldwide.

The Alpha Gamma Delta sorority supports the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation (AGDF), which distributes funds to groups that support type-1 diabetes research and awareness. Among these groups is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which supports research for childhood diabetes and provides clinical and educational programs for children with the disease. AGDF also provides financial support for volunteer and educational training, diabetes research, camp for children with diabetes, and for the care and treatment of diabetes patients.

This year Phi Gamma Delta, (FIJI), is raising money for Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA). BACA works in conjunction with local and state officials to provide safety for children who have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused. Members of BACA attend court hearings with each child, escorts the child to and from school and other places, and strive to provide security and a safe environment for the children. BACA members do not pay dues or receive money for their services. Funds raised for the organization go to educational workshops and conferences for the bikers, travel expenses and administrative costs.

Delta Zeta raises money every year for the The Painted Turtle, which is a member of The Paul Newman Serious Fun Camps association. The Painted Turtle is a summer camp for children ages 6-17 who have life-threatening medical conditions. The camp offers a chance for kids who would not otherwise be able to attend summer camp to do so. At camp they partake in normal camp activities, like archery and horseback riding, but are able to do so in a way that accommodates their medical restrictions. It is staffed with 140 medical professionals and has facilities to meet the needs of children with a wide-range of medical needs. Families do not pay for their child to attend the camp, so the camp is funded through donations and staffed largely by volunteers.

The Fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha supports Harvesters-The Community Food Network, a philanthropy that is based in Kansas City. Harvesters is a member of Feeding America and it serves 26-counties in northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. The organization distributes food and household products among food pantries, community kitchens, senior centers, children’s homes and similar organizations. Harvesters also offers educational programs in the community to provide information about nutrition and raise awareness about Hunger in the Kansas City area. The organization is volunteer run to a great extent. The organization partners with local growers and manufacturers to provide food. Volunteers then transport the donations, sort and repackage the food, and distribute the goods where they are needed.

Zeta Tau Alpha supports breast cancer research and awareness through the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation. The Foundation partners with several organizations including Yoplait, Race for the Cure, the NFL, Think Pink and others. Funds raised by the organization go to cancer research, breast cancer educational facilities and awareness campaigns. Awareness campaigns include distributing ribbons, breast self-examination cards, and breast cancer awareness stickers. ZTAF also holds a variety of events during Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is every October, and partners with the NFL for a football game.

Greek chapters support philanthropies with a variety of events throughout the year that aim to be fun and engaging for Jewell students like games, competitions, food stands and parties. More information about what each chapter is doing at Jewell to benefit the philanthropies can be found by contacting the Greek organizations directly.