Local members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority are wrapping up their group’s centennial year with several projects to benefit the community. Despite limitations imposed by the pandemic, the group celebrated its founding and renewed its focus on helping others.
Coming up this weekend, members will collect youth costumes from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Cary American Legion, 8523 Chapel Hill Road. The new and gently used costumes will be donated to InterAct, which seeks to end domestic and sexual violence, for the nonprofit’s annual Fall Bizarre.
In December, the Zetas are partnering with Dorcas Ministries to host a book drive for Read & Feed. The nonprofit provides a hot meal and academic tutoring to at-risk children, and also sends age-appropriate books home with the children they serve. New and gently used books for grades kindergarten through fifth will be collected 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 at Dorcas Ministries, 187 High House Road in Cary. Books will also be collected 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Cary American Legion.
These projects follow a successful Holiday Cheer Raffle, which raised more than $3,450 that will help provide Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gifts for four families in need.
“I want to continue to build those relationships in the community, strengthen the relationships we’ve already made with various organizations, and create more, so that we can identify what the needs are in the community, and so that we can continue to reach those needs for the citizens of Cary,” said LaToya Vick, president of Cary’s Sigma Rho Zeta Chapter.
The sorority began in January 1920, when five students at Howard University, in Washington, D.C., created the group to promote scholarship, sisterhood, service and finer womanhood. The Cary chapter supports a variety of local efforts and national causes throughout the year, including awarding scholarships to Wake County graduating seniors, providing professional attire for job seekers and raising money for the March of Dimes/March for Babies. To learn more or to get involved, visit sigmarhozetazphib.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
