After a successful fall fundraising campaign by the Beta Zeta chapter of Kappa Delta sorority at the University of South Carolina, Children’s Trust leaders accepted a substantial gift to fund prevention work in South Carolina. Neil White, who tells the stories of Children’s Trust, covered the event.
Addison Burke loves working with Children’s Trust.
As the vice president for community service for Kappa Delta at USC, Burke appreciates getting to know the Children’s Trust development team of Adrienne Bellinger and Caitlyn McAnulty as they team up to raise money for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
“It’s really cool for us because we get to connect on more of a personal level. I know the faces I’m working with,” Burke said.
(L-R) Addison Burke, Sue Williams, Steven Moon
That relationship paid off once more when the fundraising efforts for the fall semester, which included a letter-writing campaign, were announced during a March 18 ceremony at the Gambrell Hall auditorium on the USC campus. Burke presented an oversized check for $50,524.73 to Children’s Trust CEO Sue Williams and Steven Moon, the board vice chair.
That amount reflected the efforts of the 387 sorority members in the campaign that benefits both Children’s Trust and Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) America. Burke spoke to the commitment of her sorority sisters, who also are currently raising money during Shamrock Week of the spring semester.
“We have a bunch of girls who are very generous. Having something that is so powerful helps people want to rally around it,” Burke said. “A lot of girls have grown up in great families. It’s important to have a strong family background. We try to encourage them to think about having that. Children’s Trust is helping people who don’t have that. That’s a big part of why we donate.”
At the ceremony, Williams thanked the sorority for its continuing efforts to provide support to Children’s Trust, the PCA America affiliate for South Carolina and the only statewide organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Williams spoke to some of Children’s Trust’s work, including the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) being delivered by local partners in 27 counties. Through its 14 sessions geared to parents and children ages 6-11, SFP plays an important role in keeping families strong while protecting against potential child abuse or neglect.
Moon, an attorney at Rogers Townsend & Thomas, also thanked the sorority members in attendance for their efforts.
“We really appreciate it as a board,” Moon said. “It’s terrific to see young adults just starting out and finding their way in the world be in such a giving spot. It’s great to be here, look them in the eye, thank them, and let them know how much it means to us. It gives us a connection with them and in the community.”
Kappa Delta collegiate and alumnae chapters across the country have held events since 1984 to support the prevention of child abuse. The USC chapter began its partnership with Children’s Trust in 2008 and since that time, has raised approximately $450,000 for child abuse prevention in South Carolina.
