Members of the Beta Chi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. rolled up their sleeves and devoted Monday’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service to volunteer work at the Roanoke Rescue Mission Distribution & Recycling Center.
The Roanoke chapter, with other Alpha Kappa Alpha chapters across the country, celebrated the life and memory of Dr. King by participating in a community impact day of service. Community impact days provide local chapters the opportunity to choose service projects that will be beneficial to their surrounding communities.
Working in shifts, 30 Roanoke chapter members (plus three teens) spent the day cleaning and sorting items at the Rescue Mission distribution center. The chapter donated a total of 64 hours of service to help the distribution center prepare donated items to be sent to 2nd Helpings – a new venture of the Rescue Mission – and to the Rescue Mission thrift stores. Items are made available to residents of the Rescue Mission, qualified members of the Roanoke Valley community, or local shoppers at 2nd Helpings and at the Mission thrift stores.
“It was a blessing to donate the small sacrifice of our time to help the staff of the center prepare items to be used to reduce the expenses of the Mission,” said Carla Shepherd, chapter vice president. “The chapter learned that it takes $14,000 a day to operate the Rescue Mission.”
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority remain active in the community through service, conferences and special events. The sorority’s 265,000 members in 986 chapters – including the Roanoke chapter – give more than 1.5 million service hours every year to meet the needs of the community.
The Rescue Mission is a Christ-centered organization offering programs to help people physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually; while open 24 hours a day, the Mission is an essential part of Southwest Virginia’s safety net for those in crisis.
