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Delta Sigma breakfast speaker: Whatever your gifts, give it to others
By Bob Jackson
BOARDMAN
Building hope among area youths by promoting education was among the primary topics of the Youngstown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.’s inaugural prayer breakfast Saturday morning at The Georgetown.
Dr. Michelle McCollin of New Castle, president of the local chapter, said the event was aimed at worshipping God and raising money to help fund the chapter’s mission of granting college scholarships to high school seniors from the Youngstown-Warren-New Castle area.
Over the past 20-plus years, the chapter has given between $200,000 and $300,000 in scholarships, Dr. McCollin said. The grants are open to pupils entering any field of college study, but there is an extensive application and interview process. The chapter intends to give about nine scholarships this year, and wants to eventually do more.
“We want to increase the number of scholarships to deserving students around Mahoning County,” McCollin said.
Spokeswoman E. Nikki Davis said the sorority is a public service, community-oriented group focused on promoting politics, mental and physical health, education and domestic violence awareness.
Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre of New Orleans, La., immediate national past president, was the featured speaker, and said she applauds the local chapter’s efforts.
“As we look at the signs of the times, a college education is becoming so far-reaching for young people these days,” McIntyre said. “Some of them have given up hope of ever being able to go to college because it just costs so much. I’m saluting this chapter for taking this step and supporting this initiative.”
McIntyre, who served as president five years, has made strides throughout the world on behalf of women’s issues, the plight of children, nutrition, education, political awareness, physical and mental health, and international issues, Davis said.
She has been appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on several national boards of directors and is a lifelong resident of New Orleans.
McCollin said the group chose to hold a prayer breakfast as a fund-raising event because it falls in line with the sorority’s Christian values and principles. She said prayer and education can help loosen the grip of despair on so many area youths.
“We know there has been a lot of violence in Youngstown. We know there have been a lot of murders,” she said. “We’re trying to give our young people hope that there is something better available to them.”
The theme of the event was “Called to Serve Using Our Gifts to Be in Service to Others,” which was based on Scripture found in 1 Peter 4:10.
“We all have gifts and talents,” McIntyre said. “Whatever your particular gift is, you are charged to give it to others. It’s not a gift that you get to keep.”
And as gifts are shared with others, those others are encouraged to in turn do the same by sharing their own gifts with still more people.
“It’s a pay-it-forward and pass-it-on kind of principle,” she said. “You don’t give the gift back to the giver, because the giver is God, and he wants us to share those gifts here.”
Delta Sigma Theta was founded in 1913 and its members are primarily college-educated black women, Davis said. There are more than 200,000 members worldwide, with more than 100 in the local chapter.