The Alpha Xi Tau Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Society at Surry Community College raised more than $3,000 for Hope Chapel Orphanage in Ghana. This was the result of efforts for the chapter’s Honors In Action Project for the year.
Over the summer and fall, the society chapter raised $3,065 in money and donated items for Hope Chapel Orphanage. The orphanage houses children rescued from slavery in rock quarries in Ghana, while also providing them access to health care and education. The orphanage needed repairs, and this money has gone toward fixing the roof, dining hall, kitchen, plumbing and electricity.
PTK members were awarded a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to help with their efforts. Additionally, they also held their own fundraisers. This included a Labor Day Yard Sale, where unsold items were donated to Hope House Thrift Store, an Autumn Beauty Basket Raffle, and donations from Desireé Blakley and the James Hunter Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Surry Community College’s PTK Chapter Advisor Dr. Kathleen Fowler said, “Through our project, we learned that our informed actions can have a positive impact, helping victims of human trafficking escape the cycle of poverty and exploitation, and providing them with a safe place to learn and grow. Where once these children were given one meal a day as the wages of their back-breaking labor in the quarries, they will now have three meals a day prepared in their newly repaired kitchen and served in their safe, leak-free dining hall. With well-nourished bodies and minds, these children will be healthier and more successful in school. Since education is key to helping these children escape the cycle of poverty and exploitation, our project is helping to turn the horrendous inheritance of child labor into a legacy of hope.”
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.
For more information about Phi Theta Kappa and their projects, contact PTK’s Faculty Co-advisors Dr. Kathleen Fowler at (336) 386-3560 or fowlerk@surry.edu and Kayla Forrest at (336) 386-3315 or forrestkm@surry.edu. You can also follow the local chapter on Facebook @surryPhiThetaKappa or go to www.ptk.org.
