[ATLANTA, Ga] – On Wednesday, January 20, President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into the highest elected offices in the United States. Alpha Delta Pi sisters were in full force on Wednesday as Maria Miller Lohmeyer, Zeta Omega—Central Florida, led the charge as the Chief of Inaugural Ceremonies for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Jennifer Hemingway, Gamma Iota—Florida, executed her duties at the inauguration as the Acting Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, a role she stepped into on January 7, 2021, following the storming of the Capitol on January 6.  

Lohmeyer similarly coordinated the 2017 inauguration and previously served as the Public Liaison and Director of Events for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She also served as a Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi, where she honed her skills in communication, strategic planning, and logistics. Lohmeyer keeps sisterhood alive on her team. Abby Stahl, Gamma Chi—Texas Christian, serves as Staff Assistant for the JCCIC for Lohmeyer during a gap year. The two met at a leadership training event in 2018, and Stahl’s mother lived with Lohmeyer in college.  

Hemingway began her life in public service over two decades ago and most recently served as the Deputy Sergeant at Arms for the Senate. During the 115^th Congress, she served as Director of House Operations for Speaker Paul D. Ryan. Then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of her appointment, “I thank Jennifer in advance for her service as we...strengthen our preparations for a safe and successful inauguration on January 20.” 

Alpha Delta Pi even had a sister play an integral part in the iconic Bernie Sanders meme that’s gone viral on social media in the days following the inauguration. Jen Ellis, Gamma Tau—Vermont, is responsible for making the uniquely patterned mittens seen on the Vermont Senator. Ellis handed the mittens to Sanders on the 2016 campaign trail and "was totally delighted” to see he has held onto them all these years.  

About Alpha Delta Pi
Founded at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Ga., on May 15, 1851, Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society established for college women. Its principles of scholarship, leadership, sisterhood, and service guide more than 265,000 women in 158 active collegiate chapters and 158 alumnae associations of Alpha Delta Pi.

The Alpha Delta Pi Foundation will award five grants of $5,000 each to Ronald McDonald House Charities chapters to support renovation and growth in Amarillo, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Hawaii; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania & Morgantown, West Virginia; and Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

ALPHA DELTA PI FOUNDATION AWARDS $25,000 IN GRANTS TO LOCAL
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES CHAPTERS

The Alpha Delta Pi Foundation will award five grants of $5,000 each to Ronald McDonald House Charities chapters to support renovation and growth in Amarillo, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Hawaii; Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania & Morgantown, West Virginia; and Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

ATLANTA (October 30, 2020) – In recognition of the 41st anniversary of our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation is thrilled to announce grants to five chapters of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) from the Foundation’s RMHC Endowment.

Grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to:
• RMHC of Amarillo – in support of the “Keeping Families Close” Capital Campaign to build a new house in their current location in the Texas Panhandle
• RMHC of Denver – to help rehabilitate the Starlight Room, a play area for young children and families
• RMHC of Hawaii – to provide interior furnishings for the Distant Learning Space & Computer Center to support the needs of family members in residence
• RMHC of Pittsburgh & Morgantown – in support of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile which provides immunizations, screening for food insecurity, and referrals to additional resources in the Greater Pittsburgh area
• RMHC of Southwestern Ontario – to help introduce the At Your Service! Meal program with new food service options to meet required safety protocols necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic
View our video announcement here.

This is the 2nd year of RMHC Endowment grants from the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation. In 2019, five inaugural grants totaling $25,000 were made to expand the partnership between Alpha Delta Pi and RMHC by providing resources for local RMHCs even if they do not have an Alpha Delta Pi collegiate chapter or alumnae association nearby.

The RMHC Endowment was created as part of the Foundation’s landmark $10,000,000 We Believe Campaign in 2015. Collegiate chapters, alumnae, parents, and friends of Alpha Delta Pi have helped raise more than $768,000 to expand the reach of our philanthropic partnership with RMHC through this fund.

“Alpha Delta Pi remains committed to help with Keeping Families Close,” said Tracy L. Garner, President, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation.

“Our members raise more than a million dollars each year for RMHC, as well
as volunteer countless hours, provide in-kind support through local wish list and pop tab drives, and even fundraise through the annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We are proud to support the mission of RMHC and the difference they make in the lives of families facing medical crises.”

About Alpha Delta Pi Founded at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Ga., on May 15, 1851, Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society established for college women. Its principles of scholarship, leadership, sisterhood and service guide more than 265,000 women in 159 active collegiate chapters and 155 alumnae associations of Alpha Delta Pi. The Alpha Delta Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization, offers funding for scholarship, grants, educa6onal programming, and leadership training.

Grand Council Names Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Top Priority for the Sorority
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Last week, Alpha Delta Pi shared our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive sisterhood that celebrates the identities of our lived experiences. We made a commitment to stand with and hear our Black members as they navigate the pain and harm caused by a longstanding history of racism and injustice. We also recognize our responsibility to acknowledge our contributions to the racist and oppressive systems still in existence today. We are long overdue in taking responsibility to be better for all of our members, especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and other marginalized identity groups. We want to ensure we are truly embodying our motto, We Live For Each Other, in our words and actions. For it is only in doing so that we can be better as a partner on campuses and within communities.

On June 2, 2020, Grand Council shared the sorority’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the biennium with the International Officers and Staff who will be responsible for executing it. Developed over the course of the last few months, this new plan prioritizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and identifies inclusivity as one of the core values of our organization. 

Strategies for this prioritization include:  

• Ensuring a multi-level and multi-faceted approach in addressing the needs of all organization members and integrating inclusive practices into Alpha Delta Pi.
• Understanding the sorority experience through the lens of identity using assessment and evaluation.
• Completing an education, resource, and policy audit to address shifting campus and chapter demographics.
• Researching informed programs, policy, and operations to maintain standard of excellence.
• Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion resources for members.
• Determining appropriate preventative practices and restorative response process to ensure inclusive sisterhood.
• Consistently reviewing methods to ensure relevancy to student and host institution expectations.

These steps are only a starting point into our efforts to be actively anti-racist and fulfill our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They are the beginning of a multi-year plan developed by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee with the support of Sorority leadership.  

An impactful campaign for change within our organization cannot be developed or delivered in a week. We have provided a space for members to engage in this conversation through our Talk About It Tuesdays webinar series, which provides the opportunity for listening, learning, and sharing on topics of inclusion. The upcoming issue of The Adelphean includes content around this topic. More details will be forthcoming in member and stakeholder communications.

We hear the demand for action from our sisters. We agree and commit to addressing them with the direction of the outstanding professionals on our Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Change takes time and we appreciate your continued accountability to move our Sorority and one another forward. While the organization has significant work to do as we unlearn and dismantle internally oppressive systems, we ask our members to commit to the following call to action: 

• Educate yourself. Participate in the Talk About It Tuesdays webinar series, including our upcoming webinar on deconstructing implicit bias. Read, view, and listen to some of the recommended resources shared by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  
• Invite others into the conversation with grace. Each individual comes into this discussion at a different place in their learning journey and holding each other accountable to do better is key to growth and change. 
• Be an active bystander. Address acts of racism and oppression. Actively engage your sisters, family, friends, fraternity, and sorority communities in conversations about the need to educate and advocate against racism and oppression. 
• Don’t tokenize others. Be careful not to lean on our sisters of color, especially our Black sisters to educate you about these topics. There is emotional labor in their being the ones to educate while also managing their feelings – it is not their job to educate the whole.  
• Advocate for and amplify the voices of those oppressed. This will look different depending upon our stage of life. It could involve peacefully protesting in support of addressing these issues, holding our sisters, including Sorority leadership, accountable for change, speaking up to ensure there is representation at the decision-making tables of your chapter, campus, or workplace, or inquiring about the diversity and inclusion strategic plan for your campus or workplace. 

Many sisters have found themselves compelled to financially support one or many non-profit organizations or special fundraisers that offer resources and education to the Black Lives Matter movement and community organizations around the country. As an international organization, Alpha Delta Pi has not endorsed any particular giving outlet, as there are many that are worthy of receipt. Instead we encourage our members to research options in their communities and throughout the country to find a fund that resonates with them. Whether it be a non-profit dedicated to helping Black women start small businesses, a private fund to help the families of victims, or a large national movement, we are confident that our sisters will give as they are able in order to fulfill our commitment to unselfish service to mankind. 

The Diversity & Inclusion Committee continues to examine and evaluate Alpha Delta Pi’s efforts to create a more inclusive sisterhood. We want to ensure the voices of all our members are accurately represented at the table, especially those who have often felt silenced by our Sorority’s past practices. If you have further insights, questions, or suggestions, please email inclusion@alphadeltapi.com.

Alpha Delta Pi’s third annual Week of Service begins on October 23rd and runs through October 30th! In celebration of our 42nd anniversary partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, we ask all members to choose one day throughout this week to give back. Whether you give to RMHC or volunteer for another organization within your community, please consider participating! Alumnae, collegians, and friends of ADPi are all invited to join. How will you give back?

Contact: Danielle Averill (daverill@alphadeltapi.com)

Convention held by the Texas State Alumnae Association in Waco, TX.