The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter’s Delta DEARS coordinated a book drive to collect new books for two Title 1 Prince William County elementary schools.
The DEARS, as they are known, are members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., who are aged 62 years or older. D.E.A.R.S is an acronym for Dedicated Energetic Active Respected Sorors.
Putting those descriptors into action, the DEARS decided to take on a service project. Mary Davis, retired educator, and reading specialist, had an idea for a book drive, and she worked closely with fellow DEARS Phyllis Harrison and Sharon Nottingham to bring it to fruition.
The DEARS set a goal to collect 500 books. After some research, the group decided to distribute the donated books to West Gate and Marumsco Hills Elementary Schools – one school on each end of the county.
With assistance from the Outreach Committee, DEARS, and other Chapter members collected and donated more than 700 books. The DEARS delivered them to each school for its first-grade classrooms on March 2 and 8. Delta DEARS were also guest readers in the classrooms after the special book delivery on March 8 in support of Read Across America.
The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was chartered in 1984 and has provided a variety of educational programs serving youth in the County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park in its 39-year history, including monetary awards for high school scholarships; the Dr. King Youth Oratorical Competition; youth female and male empowerment programs, and EMBODI; Spotlight on Youth; college fairs; and a youth summit in conjunction with the Prince William-Stafford National Pan-Hellenic Council.
Visit its website for information about these programs and other chapter activities. The 2023 scholarship application for high school seniors is available on the site, and the deadline is March 20.
