There are often misconceptions when people think of a
“sorority girl.” From the outside people may see girls as being absorbed in social
events, wearing Greek letters, and even some Elle Woods doppelgangers from
Legally Blonde. However, being a part of a sorority is much deeper than what it
looks like to the outside world and the way it is often portrayed in the media.
When I came to college, I knew I needed to find a way to be able to still give
back to the community as I enjoyed doing at my catholic high school. The
Fraternity and Sorority Life on the University of Oregon’s campus is constantly
holding different philanthropy events and community service opportunities to
raise money, directly serve, and give back to the community of Eugene.
Alpha Chi Omega’s
philanthropy stuck out to me, as a freshman, during recruitment. Nationally, Alpha Chi Omega raises money and
promotes the awareness and prevention of domestic violence. Here in Eugene, our
chapter donates and raises money for our local non-profit women’s’ shelter,
Womenspace. Womenspace is located in Lane County and gives support to women who
have been abused. Every spring, Alpha Chi Omega organizes a softball tournament
called Diamond Days. This tournament pairs together other sorority and fraternity
members to raise money for Womenspace and promote the awareness of domestic
violence.
While we do
raise money and promote the awareness of domestic violence at other times of
the year as well, Diamond Days is great way for all of our members to get
involved with the process of not only helping to contribute to a great cause.
By contributing to this cause, all of the women in our house are not only
learning how to raise money or awareness about domestic violence, but also how
to not become victims themselves by realizing how to get out of an abusive
relationship, home, or unsafe environment. Learning these lessons at an early
age are extremely important to always know how to get yourself out of a
dangerous situation. I never thought a sorority would be able to teach me as
many life lessons as I have learned. Alpha Chi Omega has taught me to reach out
to the local community and do more than just raise money, but also raise the
knowledge and awareness of how to prevent abuse from happening. I am proud that
Alpha Chi Omega's philanthropy can help teach ourselves and others how to
become "Real. Strong. Women."
Being aware of the issue of domestic violence is extremely important. Did you know?
- One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
- 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
- Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
-Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.
- One in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.
There is no denying that domestic violence is an issue that plagues our nation, and it could very easily happen to you or one of your sisters. It is important to be informed, and it is crucial to spread the knowledge about the prevention of domestic to help prevent terrible situations. I can't wait to see what opportunities are presented to us to help this amazing cause! Be looking out for more posts from Cristina and myself about our philanthropy!
LITB,
Chrissy Hardesty
No comments:
Post a Comment