The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Inc’s Senior Affairs Committee partnered with the North Philadelphia Health System to provide like new and gently used suits, sport coats, shoes, ties and other personal items for the men in the behavior health drug rehabilitation, homeless, ex-offenders rehabilitation, work readiness reentry programs. The clothing was donated by the Kappa Brothers as part of the 2018 Senior Affairs Kappa Week activities.
The Senior Affairs Committee is a mandated program of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity designed to keep seasoned Brothers (over fifty-five) active and engaged in both the fraternity and the community at large. Each local alumni chapter is encouraged to have a working Senior Affairs Committee. The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter’s Senior Affairs Committee partnered with the North Philadelphia Health Systems as a way for the members to positively participate in a community service project to provide much needed support for the men in NPHS’s reentry programs. The objective is to provide suits, shoes, ties and dress clothes so the men will look presentable and professional for their job interviews.
Laura Boston-Jones the Senior Vice President for Behavioral Health at North Philadelphia Health Systems was extremely appreciative of the donations. “People come here at the lowest point in their life, often having nothing, maybe they’ve got the clothes on their back and that’s all they’ve got. We are always looking for ways to help people reclaim a sense of self. So to get a suit, not just a tee shirt and a pair of pants but to get a suit, something that for many men says, ‘I’ve arrived’ that’s a big thing. For us to be able to work with you (the Kappas) and see what that’s going to do for people, to see what that’s going to do for the men and see if it can create a sense of pride in people, that’s an important thing for people in recovery.”
Ms Jones is hoping more individuals and organizations are willing to partner with NPHS to provide volunteer services. “We are always looking for partnerships. Partnerships are an important part of recovery especially in public treatment because it is the type of thing we will never have money to pay for. Most of the money we get goes for staff salaries. We are looking to partner with other groups because the needs are so great. We have a lot of men and women who need to learn how to read and write, so if there are retired teachers out there who want to do some Adult Basic Education work we could use their help. We need mentors and we need people to help them learn to dream again.”
To receive additional information about establishing volunteer partnerships with North Philadelphia Health Systems E-mail Laura Boston-Jones at ljones@nphs.com.
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