Lisa Brody
BY KARIN DAVIS-THOMPSON, Staff Writer
ST. PETERSBURG — Members of the Zeta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. said they are hopeful that their 2019 MLK Day of Service project will change the economic legacy for families, veterans and the Midtown community.
As part of their MLK Day of Service project, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will conduct a one-day workshop made possible by funding through the Florida Legislature. Each year the sorority chooses a different service project as their focus for serving the community on the MLK Holiday.
“We have participated in the MLK Day of Service program since its inception,” said the chapter’s newly elected President Lisa Brody, Esq. “Every year our chapter has participated in a different meaningful project based upon the needs of our community and the mission and program of our organization. Financial instability is pervasive in St. Petersburg, especially in our Midtown community. ”
Brody said this year’s financial literacy project–Building Your Economic Legacy–is also in line with one of the goals of the organization’s four-year international platform: Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service. The particular target areas for the project include personal financial planning, asset accumulation, credit repair and monitoring, and entrepreneurship and the black dollar.
“Our chapter reached out to Pinnacle Financial Restoration after hearing about successful workshops they have previously conducted in the community,” she said.
During the session, the group plans to provide information on credit repair, improving credit scores for home ownership, car loans and basic financial literacy information. The workshop will take place on Monday, Jan. 21 at the Jordan Park Apartments leasing office for up to 50 members of the community.
Brody said her sorority hopes that those in attendance will leave feeling empowered and optimistic.
“We hope that our workshop will raise awareness and provide information in the form of financial literacy,” she averred. “We want to encourage individuals and families to seek further assistance as needed.”
The MLK Day of Service awards have helped the sorority expand their community service scope and allowed them the opportunity to bring meaningful projects to the community while honoring a man that believed in serving others.
“Dr. King’s Poor Peoples Campaign of 1967-68 highlighted his passion and desire to ensure that those in need had the same rights and economic opportunities as others despite of race, creed or religion,” Brody said. “Dr. King believed that poverty was a form of injustice impacting the quality of life for those who needed help the most. Our service project will focus on serving and supporting individuals who may not understand the importance of credit and overall financial health.”
While most of the nearly 100 volunteers will be Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority sisters, there are a few slots for community members interested in working with the group and the financial literacy project. For more information on how you can get involved in this or other community service projects the group sponsors, visit their website at www.zuochapter.org
