By Sally Ann Moyer
Reporter
The Nu Chapter of Gamma Alpha Omega sorority is hosting a school supplies collection drive until April 30 and has begun volunteering with Communities in Schools — The Heart of Texas.
The drive will benefit La Vega Primary School in Waco. Donations will go directly to La Vega and will be distributed through classrooms at the school’s discretion.
Collecting school supplies supports Gamma Alpha Omega’s national philanthropy of education.
“We want all children and all youth to graduate and this is a way to give back to the community in that sense,” said Houston sophomore Kristi Torres, philanthropy and service chairs Gamma Alpha Omega.
The sorority selected La Vega from a list of area elementary schools because it made the best case for assistance in an e-mail to the sorority.
Vidor sophomore Ala Duke, vice president of Gamma Alpha Omega, said the e-mail emphasized the difficulties the students face.
“They often didn’t have many resources from the community. We just felt like donating to them would be the most beneficial,” Duke said.
Duke said the supplies will benefit both parents and students.
“I feel like that it takes a lot of the pressure off the parents because they know their students are going to have school supplies,” Duke said. “It also helps the children; they don’t have to worry about standing out or being different.”
La Vega Primary School is one of the schools where members of the sorority have begun mentoring students through Community in Schools—The Heart of Texas, Torres said.
“Since our philanthropy is education and mentoring youth, we each mentor a student,” sorority president and Brownsville junior April Ortiz, said.
The partnership between the Nu chapter of Gamma Alpha Omega and Communities in Schools — The Heart of Texas started this semester.
“We really need to concentrate on the kids and getting them out of the bad situations that they’re in,” Duke said.
The sorority members also consider the revamped school supply drive a new event for them.
“We tried last semester but it wasn’t as successful as we planned, so this semester we’re trying again with more publicity,” Torres said.
The sorority has created fliers, computer slides and a Facebook event page.
Donation boxes are located in the lobbies of Jessie H. Jones and Moody Memorial libraries, the Bill Daniel Student Center, Neill Morris Hall and the Baylor Sciences Building.
Requested donations include paper, crayons, folders, spiral notebooks, backpacks and pencils. A full list is available on the sorority’s Facebook event page.
