Her-Story
In the fall of 2015, under the urging of Mary C. Lomax, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in Sussex County, Delaware and a few from Kent County, Delaware decided that there was a need for a new chapter in Sussex County; recognizing that the residents of Sussex County were underserved. In December of 2015, 11 members of the sorority met at The Palace restaurant on the Sussex County side of Milford, Delaware and discussed if the members wanted to pursue becoming an interest group with the hopes of becoming Sussex County’s first chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. It was at this meeting that the members of the sorority adopted the unofficial interest group name ‘Sussex Girls,’ and selected officers.
In January 2016, the designated representative of our unofficial interest group, Stephanie Collick, reached out to Regional Director Meredith L. Henderson for guidance on how to become an interest group. On January 18, 2016, we participated in our first community service project as Sussex Girls in a partnership with American Legion Post 28 in Millsboro, Delaware. There we participated in putting together ‘Promise Purses’ for homeless women that held various items such as, lotion, tissues, lip balm, and other essential items.
We continued to work throughout the county as general members while we waited to receive instruction from the regional director. The community events that we participated in were:
- Serving water at Georgetown Middle’s Color Run
- Passing out backpacks with the Fatherhood Coalition,
- Making comfort food for the homeless
- Providing baby/toddler items to the mothers of the Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc.
We also participated in Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson’s, the International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Community Impact Days such as:
- The Longest Day,
- Pink Goes Red,
- MLK Day of Service
- 1908 Playground Mobilization.
During this time, we increased our membership to 16 general members.
With the election of our current Regional Director Mary Bently Lamar in 2018, our hope to charter a chapter was renewed; and we quickly contacted Regional Director Lamar about the establishment of an interest group in Sussex County, Delaware. We received a swift response and guidance from Regional Director Lamar; and on November 3, 2018, with Directorate approval, we were established as the Royal Pearls of Sussex Interest Group.
Over the next year, we provided the community of Sussex County with various programs. We partnered again with American Legion Post 28 in making baskets for the homeless with items that can be used to launder their clothing. We collected over 200 shoes for Soles 4 Souls.
We put together a Women’s Health Expo to encourage the women of Sussex County to live healthy lives. The high school juniors and seniors were provided with a workshop on how to apply to college. We encouraged members of the community to Build Their Economic Legacy through establishing an online savings campaign and holding a workshop on establishing retirement savings plan. We also worked on this current administration’s Community Impact Days which are Pink Goes Red, Global Impact Day, International Day of Prayer, HBCU Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Day, and National Caregivers Day. We also held a Reclaiming Our Pearls Tea, where we encouraged inactive members of the sorority to reactivate and join us on our journey to becoming chapter. Through this activity we increased our membership to twenty.
We worked hard to prove ourselves and to show that Sussex County deserved to benefit from the programs that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated provides. The Directorate of the sorority agreed and approved the Royal Pearls of Sussex to finally become a chapter. And on Sunday, January 12, 2020 the Royal Pearls of Sussex transitioned to Alpha Alpha Mu Omega Chapter which is the 2nd four-letter chapter of the North Atlantic Region, but the first four-letter chapter of Delaware and the first and only Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Chapter in Sussex County, Delaware.
We are excited to be here and we are excited to serve!
