SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va., – On Saturday, Oct. 31, six members of the Beta Delta chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri Sigma) at Shepherd University helped pack and distribute care packages for new mothers at Birthright in Ranson.
The care packages contained diapers, wipes, ointments, onesies, and educational materials that provided information about taking care of a newborn baby. These care packages were available for free to women who are about to become mothers and who are clients of Birthright.
This service event was a success for Tri Sigma and Birthright, as several women received needed supplies to care for their soon to be born babies. In addition, the members of Tri Sigma assembled dozens of other care packages for Birthright that are ready to be distributed to any other soon to be mothers who seek help from the Birthright organization.
The Tri Sigma sorority performs community service activities like the project with Birthright to help children in need. Tri Sigma’s national website proudly displays their motto “Sigma Serves Children.” The Tri Sigma sorority at Shepherd University seeks to carry out this mission locally by serving the larger Jefferson County community through outreach and service to children and families in need.
Sigma Sigma Sigma’s national organization has established a philanthropic foundation whose main goal is to raise money to support initiatives and programs that improve children’s health. The sorority was founded nationally in 1896, and historically supported efforts to eradicate polio and other birth defects in children.
Once a cure was found for polio in the 1950s, the Tri Sigma’s turned their philanthropic focus to improving maternal health and the health of babies. Tri Sigma became focused on supporting causes that improved neonatal care for infants and preventing infant death.
In 2016, the Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation formally adopted the March of Dimes as its national philanthropic partner. This partnership is a natural fit for the sorority, as the March of Dimes is a nationally prominent nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of mothers and infants.
The Beta Delta Chapter of Sigma, Sigma, Sigma at Shepherd University chose to partner with Birthright and assist the organization with assembling and distributing care package program for new mothers and babies, seeing this project as consistent with the sorority’s philanthropic and service focus.
Abby Bowman, a sophomore at Shepherd University and a member of the Beta Delta chapter of Tri Sigma reported that this project is consistent with the service goals of the Beta Delta Chapter.
“Our sorority’s goal is to serve the needs of children in our community,” noted Bowman. Bowman explained that the Tri Sigma’s were eager to support this initiative as “these care packages will help these new moms by giving them some of the initial supplies and information they need to help take care of their babies and keep their babies healthy.”
The Tri Sigma’s also chose to partner with Birthright of Jefferson County because of Birthright’s location in Jefferson County and their mission to serve new mothers and babies. Birthright is a nonprofit organization located in Ranson, West Virginia that provides free and confidential services to pregnant woman.
Birthright’s website notes that its mission is to support women who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy. Birthright’s services, in addition to providing supplies to new mothers, includes pregnancy testing, professional counseling, and community referrals for healthcare, housing, education, employment, and legal services to pregnant woman and new mothers.