| The Alpha Phi Foundation | All of the proceeds from our philanthropic events go to the Alpha Phi Foundation whose primary mission has been cardiac care since 1956. As heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States it is a particularly important cause for the women of our chapter. We are proud to raise money that will be used to fund research concerning the treatment and diagnosis of heart disease and to this end we host several philanthropic events each year. | | Homecoming | The most significant philanthropic event hosted in the fall by the Zeta Phi chapter is homecoming. Traditionally, homecoming has been a tailgating event for the entire MIT community to support our football team at their homecoming game. We hold the event in the center of the MIT campus on the Kresge lawn and anyone is welcome to join us for food, live entertainment and a raffle full of prizes such as JetBlue tickets. Last year, we decided to hold the event before the homecoming field hockey game to support many of our sisters! Another fun aspect of the event is that we allow groups on campus to nominate MIT students to be homecoming king and queen for that year and vote for their nominees by donating money during the week leading up to Homecoming. At the Homecoming event we crown the Homecoming King and Queen of that year. Each year we raise over $6,000 dollars through this event alone! | | King of Hearts | In the spring, we host one of the most entertaining events of the year – Alpha Phi King of Hearts. On this night, we invite each fraternity, living group, club, and sports team on campus to nominate one individual to compete in our male beauty pageant. The event is full of laughter as the boys compete in swim wear, evening wear, talent, and interview portions with the judges being the presidents of the six sororities at MIT. Ticket proceeds go to the Alpha Phi Foundation and prizes are awarded not only to the King of Hearts winner for that year but also to the sorority and fraternity with the most representation at the competition – a way to bring together the entire Greek Community at MIT. Read an alumni testimonial of the 2009 King of Hearts and make sure to watch the video of the winner's performance! King of Hearts 2008 | | Chapter-wide Community Service Activities | Our chapter prides ourselves in providing one community service opportunity per month for sisters to be involved in. Some of the events we have done in the past year include:
Jimmy Fund Walk: In September 2008 the Alpha Phi Zeta Phi Chapter sponsored a team of our sisters to walk in the annual Jimmy Fund Walk in Boston to raise money for cancer research. The mission of the walk was specifically dear to the hearts of many of our sisters who came out to participate and ended up raising over $2,095 for the cause.
Single Soldiers Letter-Writing Campaign: For the past two years we have written holiday letters to the soldiers in Iraq. Last year we made this a joint event at the Alpha Phi House with the brothers of Delta Upsilon. These soldiers do not receive many letters from abroad as they are single (both men and women), so we were happy to send them care-packages and letters during the holiday season thanking them for their dedication and service.
Walk for Hunger: By raising money and having a team walk in this event both last year and this year, Alpha Phi hopes to make a tradition of this popular walk in Boston. Our target amount of money to be raised this year is $1,000. We are excited about walking with as many other members of the MIT community as possible!
Blood Drive: Our chapter posts signs and highly encourages sisters via email and chapter announcements to give blood at the MIT blood drive. As a result, over 50% of the sisters in the chapter have donated blood at one of the blood drives throughout the year.
Toys for Tots: Each year, our chapter participates in this program through MIT. We collect a wish-list of 40 children from low-income families in the Boston area ages 3-8 and buy them the toy that was on their wish list. Sisters split up the responsibility of buying toys for each child and we then send these toys through the program. | A Helping Hand for Sisters | | The Alpha Phi Foundation also works to help sisters in need. Within the Foundation, the Emergency Aid Fund exists to support any undergraduate Alpha Phi who is having trouble financing their education due to unexpected situations. Additionally, the Forget-Me-Not Fund helps to aid alumni with health problems or other crises. Through efforts such as these, the Alpha Phi Foundation provides support to the Alpha Phi Sisterhood. |
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 | | Sister Community Service Spotlights... |
 "I am in a club called Best Buddies that creates lasting friendships between students and people with disabilities. I co-founded this club in high school and have been a part of it since my freshman year at MIT. The buddy pairs, of one student and one person with a disability, are matched based on hobbies and interests. The buddy pairs keep in touch and hang out at club events, like bowling, sports games, and holiday parties. I love being a part of Best Buddies because I get to know amazing people I probably would have never met otherwise and develop genuine friendships with them. I am very close with my buddy today and still keep in touch with my buddy from high school. The club is considered a community service project but I consider it a great way to meet new friends and have fun!"
--Hannah Bedard |  "The adult students of United South End Settlements present a dedication to making a positive change in their life that is truly inspiring. Working with these students, who are preparing for the General Education Development exam, has given me an entirely new perspective on education; while the availability of opportunities varies for each individual, learning at any age will only improve the quality of life. As a math tutor, I am constantly challenged to explain complex concepts, such as why subtracting two negative integers results in one positive integer. After countless analogies to pieces of pizza, I have learned that being a good teacher requires adapting to the different learning styles, and fortunately at USES, I have the chance to get to know students on a very individual basis. Currently, I volunteer at USES twice a week for two hours, and I hope to continue into the fall semester."
--Nirupama Yechoor |
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