Volunteer Spotlight: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® (AKA), Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter (graduate), and Beta Theta Chapter (undergraduate) joined us January 20 for a special volunteer session as part of our “Day of Service” in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® has a deep commitment to community service, supporting numerous projects to uplift their community as they also strengthen their sisterhood. They have been regular volunteers at Food Lifeline for over 20 years!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of our favorite events at Food Lifeline, a day where community comes together to celebrate the legacy and spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. We are so glad that AKA could once again join us for this inspirational event and are grateful for their ongoing dedication to our mission, and for all of the positive energy and fun that they bring to our work. We sat down with President Saunjah Brantley, and Vice-President and Programs Chairman Ada Hardy to learn more about their community work, their sisterhood, and the sense of connection that empowers them.
Founded in 1908 at Howard University, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® (AKA) is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women and now has over 300,000 members worldwide. An international service organization, they are focused on engaging in projects that have a positive impact on their local community while promoting sisterhood. Their mission is to be of “Service to All Mankind.”
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter (graduate), and Beta Theta Chapter (undergraduate) have a deep commitment to uplifting their community by engaging in numerous projects, including their Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (AKA CHIPP™) program, which provides weekend and holiday meals for children within local communities and is targeted to be Alpha Kappa Alpha’s most ambitious childhood hunger program to date. They provided 1,900 CHIPP Power Packs to Rainier View High School in 2023-2024 as part of the program. They also registered people to vote, and support the African American book collection at the Douglass-Truth Library. They have been regular volunteers with Food Lifeline for over 20 years.
“This is a wonderful relationship and we’re so happy to keep coming back,” said Ms. Hardy.
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® all over the world participate in community service projects on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as part of their annual “We are One” AKA Day of Service.
“Martin Luther King Jr. is near and dear to our hearts,” said Mrs. Brantley. “That’s why we serve… There are women all over the world volunteering on this specific day so that we can demonstrate our commitment to community and social services in addition to connecting as sisters.”
“The legacy in history, the impact that Martin Luther King, Jr. made is broad and wide. But what makes it personal for me is he supported impoverished people. He did a lot of work to combat poverty and advocate for families and folks who were suffering in the United States and so we know that Food Lifeline’s work helps put meals on tables for folks who otherwise could not afford healthy meals so I think that’s where the intersection of MLK Jr.’s work and what Food Lifeline does intersects and we’re just excited to help contribute to that.”
-Vice President Ada Hardy
Mrs. Brantley credits their sisterhood, and the immediate impact of their work with helping to mitigate the feeling of overwhelm we sometimes get looking at all the problems in the world. “What I like to share with people is that when we try to influence and make impact in our sphere of influence locally, whatever that is, whether it is with your family, your neighbor, your community, or your work, wherever you show up, make your presence known. And you can make a difference right where you are, and it can make it feel a bit less daunting…When you make a difference where you are, it actually fuels you to do even more, and even more powerfully when you can do it with others.”
The group’s sisterhood is strengthened as they make an impact on the community, project by project. Their sense of connection and sense of purpose are interwoven.
The positive energy of the group as they were working together in the warehouse was palpable to everyone present.
“It’s palpable because we all care, right?” said Mrs. Brantley. “That is the thing that brings us together. The common thread as sisters is making sure that we make a difference in our community, but then we also connect and support one another as we are serving community.”
“It’s the love,” added Ms. Hardy. “It’s the bond that we have. We all have one mission, and that’s to be of service to all mankind and to support each other and love each other all the way through.”
