President Announces Southern California Disaster Relief Fund
Fund underscores Sorority’s resolve to help in time of crisis
In an impassioned outreach to those in the eye of the firestorm in Southern California, President Barbara A. McKinzie announced that a special disaster relief fund has been established for members who will need help getting their lives back on course.
She said that this helping hand underscores the Sorority’s resolve to help in a time of crisis. It is also an extension of the Sorority’s core mission: “to provide service to all mankind.”
McKinzie reported that scores of members have been forced to evacuate their homes in the wake of the horrific fires in Southern California. She noted the peril in which some members now find themselves and urged them—and the 350,000 others impacted by the crisis—to take comfort in knowing that they are in the prayers of Alpha Kappa Alpha members.
Following is a complete text of President McKinzie’s statement:
The images of fires blazing in California and forcing people from their homes are painful to see. But it is even more devastating for those caught in the eye of this firestorm. This catastrophe has hit our sisterhood as scores of our members in the fire-raging areas have been evacuated. Their lives are now in limbo.
The news reports dramatically underscore the peril in which these members—and 350,000 others—find themselves.
E. Lavonne Lewis, Far Western Regional Director, informs me that over two dozen members in the San Diego region have either been displaced from their homes, or are on notice to evacuate immediately. One member in the Los Angeles area has been forced to leave her home.
It is a daunting dilemma because one's life hangs in the balance.
The purpose of this e-mail is to ask you to put these members in your prayers as they go through this crisis of uncertainty. Losing one's home and facing the unknown will test anyone's resolve. We need to reach out to those members in prayer, comfort and with our treasure.
We are establishing a disaster fund for AKAs impacted by this disaster. As Alpha Kappa Alpha women have always been first responders, we must respond by donating to this fund. Please make your checks payable to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., note “CA fire” in the memo section, and forward to the Corporate Office. As we continue to monitor the situation, we will present checks to those severely affected by this emergency.
Meanwhile, may God comfort you in the knowledge that the strength and support of our sisterhood will overcome any disaster. Ultimately, we vow to be a lifeline to those impacted during their immediate crisis and into the future.
Barbara A. McKinzie
International President