O∆K’s 14th National Day of Service was held on Thursday, April 14, 2022. Many individuals and circles participate in service on their campuses and in their communities throughout the year. You can share how you or your circle is providing service to others by submitting a report here. Here are some examples of leaders giving back in their communities:
This year, Gerard Lennon (Adelphi University, 2019) brought the Pink Patch Project to his campus. Lennon works for Adelphi University’s Public Safety Department and created a pink version of his department’s uniform patch to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. He has raised more than $5,000 this year to support this cause.
Daylyn Turner (Lamar University, 2022) and colleagues at JK Subaru volunteered for the 5th Annual United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County Day of Caring event. Turner is a vice president with JK Chevrolet Subaru, and he leads the dealership’s community outreach efforts. During the Day of Caring, Turner built beds for the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Earlier this April, the Eta Xi circle at Campbell University hosted Project Not Forgotten. Thirteen circle members and approximately 30 community members worked side-by-side on campus to prepare more than 1,700 Easter-themed décor deliveries for the residents of 25 assisted living facilities in five local counties. The circle’s partnership with Project Not Forgotten began when the organization was founded in summer 2020 by a Campbell alumnus to “better the lives of nursing home patients through seasonal deliveries.”
Rich Johnson (University of Richmond, 2005) has volunteered with Ducks Unlimited for nearly 40 years. Ducks Unlimited is the largest wetlands conservation organization in the world, with conservation projects protecting more than 16 million acres across North America. Johnson, a trustee emeritus for Omicron Delta Kappa, has served Ducks Unlimited as a U.S. Executive Vice President and U.S. and Canada Director. He is currently the Assistant Treasurer for the U.S. and a Director Emeritus.
Dr. Bradley Feuer (University of Miami, 1979) has volunteered for the Florida Highway Patrol as Chief Surgeon and Medical Director since 2003. In 2022 alone, he has volunteered more than 480 hours. He serves as a major in the Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary. In addition, he oversees the medical direction of the patrol, academy, and Special/Tactical Response Team. He also supervises the statewide Troop Surgeon Program.
The Shenandoah University Circle incentivized service with its members by offering an O∆K shirt to members who served. Saja Al-Adhami (Shenandoah University, 2022) volunteered at a COVID vaccination clinic, where she was responsible for preparing the vaccine to be administered by nurses in the clinic. Al-Adhami also volunteered with a group of student pharmacists at CVS as part of a health fair day. Other members of the circle participated in clean-up projects, packaging food to donate to local organizations, and assisting the elderly with the use of technology.
Spencer Crawford (University of Kentucky, 2022) volunteered with the Camp Nelson National Monument in Nicholasville, Kentucky, to develop an educational curriculum for use during school field trips to the site. Crawford, an education expert and former teacher, developed programs to align with common core standards for elementary through high school participants.
The Lambda Circle at Hampden-Sydney College made 44 dozen pieces of baklava as a fundraiser to support UNICEF. On the O∆K National Day of Service, the circle raised more than $600 for their cause.
Ann Angle-Garrett (Purdue University, 1987) volunteered with her local Rotary club this April to prepare packets of personal and feminine hygiene products to distribute to 300 girls. The packets also included personal notes of encouragement from the volunteers.
The SUNY Oneonta Circle partnered with Alpha Phi Omega, a community service organization, to collect household and baby items such as bibs, pacifiers, linens, and clothing. The items were donated to the Violence Intervention Program for Opportunities For Otsego.
As a volunteer and mentor for the AmeriCorps Week Central Juvenile Hall’s Amerimorphosis Soci-Emotional Transition from Juvie to Society, Meya Hargett (California State University Northridge, 1999) guided her mentees in a five-month-long art project. Participants designed a felt miniature of themselves carrying a caterpillar, wrote a paragraph about how they had arrived at juvenile hall, and created a painting representing the type of service they wanted to complete to give back to society. Families were invited to view the art exhibit in March 2022.
The Indiana State University Circle gave new life to old T-shirts, crafting the worn clothing into dog toys to donate to the Terre Haute Humane Society. The circle put out a call for donations and received shirts from all over campus.
Members of the UMass Lowell Circle volunteered together to clean an abandoned encampment, and over the course of three hours, collected more than 12 bags of trash from the site.
