Delta Sigma Theta serves Soul Food Dinner, hope

Annual Soul Food Dinner was held to celebrate Black History Month.

By Matt Reinig

Published Feb. 5, 2008

The Columbia Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority celebrated Black History Month Saturday at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Columbia with a Soul Food Dinner and a healthy dose of hope.

Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae Chapter member Sharon Williams said the Soul Food Dinner was one of the events that raises money for the sorority’s annual scholarship program.

“We give scholarships yearly to the girls in the mentoring group,” Williams said. “We’re in the habit right now of giving at least $4,000 yearly.”

The sorority operates a mentoring group, known as GEMS, for young women.

GEMS stands for Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully.

“The majority of our young ladies that are in the Delteen chapter, which is known as GEMS, are going to further their education after high school whether it be a university, military or vocational school,” Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae charter member Brenda Washington Hartley said. “They are the recipients of our scholarships each year.”

Hartley also said that the funding is mainly for high school seniors who are going to further their education.

Among such prospective scholarship recipients is Rock Bridge High School senior Cortaiga Gant who was also volunteering at the dinner Saturday.

“They are looking for leadership, community activity, maintaining a good grade point – definitely the grades,” Gant said. “They look for qualities that they would find amongst the African American leaders of today.”

Gant said she was accepted into Howard University in Washington, the birthplace of Delta Sigma Theta. She hopes to pledge to the sorority while there and earn her degree in philosophy and attend medical school.

“The MU chapter of Delta Sigma Theta is also active and in conjunction with many sororities and fraternities,” sorority charter member Carolyn Allen said.

“If other organizations have activities, then we’ll participate with them,” Allen said.

Allen also said they support whatever activities the fraternities and sororities they partner with have planned.

Financial secretary Natalee Wooden operated the concession table at the entrance of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Saturday.

“My mother started the Soul Food Dinner way back in the day, and they’ve been doing it ever since,” Wooden said.

Wooden also said the Soul Food Dinner typically generates between three and four hundred dollars, and that the usual turnout is wonderful.

“It should be a packed house,” Wooden said before the event.

The sorority also held a raffle at the dinner.

A number of Columbia churchgoers also attended the dinner.

“I like to meet the people,” said Alice Edwards, member of Fifth Street Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. “We get to know one another.”