Sorority holds soul food dinner

The dinner aims to bring the community together through fellowship.

By Megan Swieca

Published Feb. 9, 2010

Over a meal of fried chicken, peach cobbler and red velvet cake, members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority helped give back to its community.

The alumnae chapter of the sorority held a soul food dinner event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke Methodist Church in downtown Columbia.

The location was chosen because it is centralized within the community, Delta Sigma Theta President Joi Moore said. During the dinner, traditional "soul" food was served.

"We find that the best way to get people together is around food," she said.

Although the sorority is not directly affiliated with the church, some of the sorority members belong to the church, and other church members usually come out to support the sorority.

Along with the dinner, women from the Second Missionary Baptist Church gave blood pressure screenings. They also handed out census information, and H1N1 flu shots and health information were made available by the Boone County Health Department.

"We want to inform the community by bringing them together through fellowship," Moore said.

The focus of the sorority is for women to become involved in events on campus, and then when they graduate to be a part of the alumnae chapter and continue to have a good influence on their community, she said.

More said with alumnae chapters located across the world it would not be difficult for any of the women to continue to serve in communities outside of Columbia.

Moore listed mentoring, financial stability, self love and public service as issues the sorority focuses on. They address these issues through different events and meetings hosted by the sorority.

"It is a service sorority that teaches to take an active role in the community," MU graduate Carita Emanuel said.

She said she enjoys “giving a hand, pulling other people up and being a role model to ladies" the most about the sorority.

In addition to the alumnae, members of the Delta Gems and the Delta Academy, groups of middle and high school girls, helped to distribute food.

"(Delta Gems) builds character, confidence and gives us tools for going into the world," Delta Gem member Muslimah Carpenter said.

Member Jazzmine Matthews said being part of the sorority teaches them to be the best people they can be and to "love themselves."

They expressed interest in continuing to give back to the community and eventually becoming part of the alumnae chapter.

Any profits made at the event go toward a scholarship fund the sorority gives out once a year to a black female MU student.

Moore said she didn't expect much profit from the event. Instead, she said the purpose of the event was to inform the community.