“Like” and “Follow” Us For a Good Cause!

This spring, we are using social media to support our national service partners and spread the word about Gamma Sigma Sigma. From April 15- May 15, our goal is to get 1000 new likes and follows on our national Facebook and Twitter pages. When you help us to reach our goal, we will give back by donating $1000 to one of our national service partners!

During the dates of the campaign, new likes to the “Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority, Inc.” Facebook page and new followers to the @gammasigmasigma account will be tracked by the social media coordinator.

At the end of the campaign, we will make a donation up to $1000 to a charitable organization for each new like or follow generated during the promotional period. Each like and follow will equal $1, up to 1000.

How can you help? Share our pages with your friends, encourage potential new members and friends to follow us, tag us in your status or in tweets, and if you aren’t connected with us yet, now is the time!

The charity that will receive a donation will be chosen from our national service partners. Fans of our Facebook page will have the opportunity to vote in a Facebook poll during the third week of the promotion to choose which organization will receive the donation.

You can find the official guidelines here: Social media promotion guidelines

Any questions should be directed to Social Media Coordinator, Ashley Robinson at socialmedia@gammasigmasigma.org.

Greater Atlanta Alumni Help with 5K and Empower Women

In the coming weeks, we will be featuring articles from the Spring 2013 Perspectives. 

Atlanta, GA – The Greater Atlanta Alumni and Atlanta Metropolitan Alumni Chapter volunteered at the Fall 2012 Girls on the Run Atlanta 5K. Alumni members helped set up registration tables and materials, checked in and registered race runners, and assisted with food and water distribution to race participants.

The chapter also hosted their 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment event this past February along with the Eta Zeta Chapter at Spelman College. The theme for the expo was “A Beautiful, Healthy You”. The event featured a keynote speaker who discussed healthy relationships. The expo also featured breakout sessions geared towards physical health, mental health, spiritual health, and much more.

Start the New Year Right! Keep Track of Important Deadlines for 2013

The new year is a time of renewal, fresh starts, and hopefully, getting more organized! 2013 will be an exciting year for Gamma Sigma Sigma as we prepare for our 31st National Convention in St Louis July 17-21.

In the meantime, make sure that you and your chapter keep track of the following important dates:

• January 31st National reports due
• January 31st Parliamentary documents due
• January 31st Applications for national office due  - http://bit.ly/gssconv
• February 5th Perspectives submissions due
• April 1st Nominations for National Awards  - http://bit.ly/gssconv
• May 1st Priority deadline to apply for National Committees, Consultants, and Assistants  - http://bit.ly/gssconv

Add these to your calendar and keep an eye out for updates and reminders!

Hope that everyone is ready for a new year of Service, Friendship, and Equality!

Service Spotlight: Gamma Theta’s Trick or Treat 4 Canned Goods

This Halloween, the ladies of Gamma Theta went out and around several neighborhoods in Nacogdoches, TX trick or treating for cannedgoods. Some of the ladies even dressed up in costumes. The chapter went door to door Halloween night, asking the citizens to donate, as well as telling them about our sorority. Many of the home owners were thrilled to see us helping out the community and having fun while doing it. We met many influential community leaders who asked us if we could join together and have an event soon. This service event was a great way to meet community members, while serving it at the same time. Gamma Theta hopes to participate in Trick- or -Treat 4 Canned Goods again next year.

Gamma Theta Chapter- Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX

Statement from Keli Connor, National President

Since the summer of 2012, Gamma Sigma Sigma has begun implementing new social media standards and guidelines to help our members utilize social media effectively as well as limit online behavior that is not in line with the sorority’s standard policy of risk. Due to these efforts, it is even more important for us to address online activity that may have negative effects on our chapters and its members. With that being said, we would like to issue the following statement:

On November 10th, 2012, the national board of directors for Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority was made aware of a disturbing video featuring two individuals, one of which is an alumnus of the sorority. The individual portrayed an image uncharacteristic of our sorority’s image and beliefs.

The video has been taken down from its original site, but some viewers have tied the video to the sorority. Please note that the individuals in the video were acting on their own and not in conjunction with any chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma. The member is being contacted and we are researching into what further action will be taken. Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority does not in any way condone the behavior that was seen in the video. We stand by our founding values of service, friendship, and equality.

In Service, Friendship, and Equality,

Keli Connor

Gamma Sigma Sigma

National President

Any questions should be directed to Keli Connor at president@gammasigmasigma.org.

“I am an AmeriCorps *VISTA”

This guest post comes from alumna Jeanine Cruz, an AmeriCorps *VISTA volunteer  and national Public Relations Assistant for Gamma Sigma Sigma.

I am a sister of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority, Inc. and  Alumna from the Eta Theta chapter at UCF in Orlando, FL.  Like many fellow sisters, after graduating college, I decided to become an AmeriCorps *VISTA member serving in South Florida.

What is AmeriCorps *VISTA? AmeriCorps is the domestic version of the Peace Corps.  We go to different parts of the United States to serve in communities which most need our help. *VISTA is a program underneath the AmeriCorps umbrella which stands for Volunteers In Service To America.  The *VISTA program is geared towards fighting poverty within the community, so in order to fight poverty, you have to know what it is like to struggle with poverty as well.  That is why we get a stipend set at poverty level and we are eligible for government services such as food stamps. We get a small health insurance plan as well as reimbursement for travels, moving, and childcare. Going into being a *VISTA member, I already knew what it was like to be in poverty and I wanted to help others who had been through what I have been through. Most of all, I wanted to help children in any way possible because I have a passion for helping children. At the end of the day, the difference you’re making in the lives of others, makes up for the lack of money. I happen to live with another VISTA and her two children. I met her at the Pre-service Training Orientation (PSO), which is a week-long training that AmeriCorps pays for you to take. The Southeast PSO was held in Atlanta and AmeriCorps paid for our food, lodging, and travel.

Being a *VISTA is probably one of the biggest life changes a person can go through. I personally moved away to become a VISTA and so far it has been an enlightening experience. I work at a nonprofit organization in South Florida called Kids In Distress. This organization is geared towards helping abused and neglected children. We have an emergency shelter, aftercare program, pre-school, dental and eye clinic on campus.  We also have many programs such as therapeutic service from our Family Counseling clinic (the program I work with), Kinship, Foster Care, and Healthy Start to name a few.

As an AmeriCorps *VISTA, I help develop mental health and oral health workshops for preschoolers, elementary, and middle school children. I am also developing a parenting workshop as well as a workshop geared towards children of divorce.  When I am not busy, I am developing training formats as well as working on service projects with the other VISTA’s at Kids in Distress.  I have been exposed to many trainings and experiences, that I otherwise would not have been exposed to had I not decided to become a VISTA. Not only am I meeting other like-minded service oriented people, but I am learning so much as I go along. This experience is not only helping my resume, but I helping me become a better person. The fact that I am helping others and I am truly a part of something entirely bigger than myself makes me happy and satisfied. Knowing I am making a difference as an AmeriCorps *VISTA is the best choice I could have made.

If you are interested in serving as an AmeriCorps *VISTA member, please go to http://www.americorps.gov/ for more information. If you are in the Florida area and know of a child who is being abused or neglected, call the abuse hotline at 1-800-962-2873. Lastly, if you know of an abused and neglected child in Broward and Palm Beach counties please go to http://www.kidinc.org/  to find out more information on how you can help.

Karen Kerr is new Vice President; Program Director position now open

The National Board of Directors recently appointed Karen Kerr to serve in the position of National Vice President for the remainder of the biennium. Kerr previously served as the Program Director and held other positions in the past, such as District Director and Membership Director. The appointment of a new National Vice President will mean a change of contact person as well as an opening in the Program Director position.

The National Vice President serves on the National Executive Committee and National Convention Committee and facilitates the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Committee. As Vice President, Karen Kerr will now advise District Directors and will communicate with collegiate advisors and prospective national workers.

In addition to the regular Vice President responsibilities, Kerr plans to look into liability insurance for chapters, create an Outstanding Junior and Senior program, and further develop trainings for Chapter Consultants and District Directors.

As Kerr takes on the responsibilities of the Vice President, the sorority encourages all interested members to consider applying for the National Program Director position. Interested applicants will finish planning for the spring 2013 conference in Texas. This person is expected to attend the conference March 22-24^th.  In addition, this person will be involved other program development tactics related to Project 5-2 and online learning tools through the national website.

If anyone has any questions for Karen Kerr, please contact her at vicepresident@gammasigmasigma.org. Anyone interested in applying for the Program Director position, please download the Application for National Office from the national website and send it and any questions to nominating@gammasigmasigma.org. The deadline to apply is November 11^th.