The Delta Mu Mu Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is committed to supporting the mission and work of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, with a focus on the Society’s Hope Lodge where cancer patients and their caregivers stay free of charge during cancer treatment. Members of Delta Mu Mu volunteer regularly to serve meals and participate in other service activities at the Society’s Winn-Dixie Hope Lodge in Atlanta, as well as make a donation to the Lodge every year. The organization’s recent donation of $2,500 to the Society’s 2012 Coaches vs. Cancer gala, which benefited the Hope Lodge Atlanta, is a continuation of their support.
“When the chapter was chartered in 2008, we knew we wanted to make community service a cornerstone of the chapter. We were initially conducting clothing drives and voter registration drives but we wanted to do more and realized that we needed additional resources to make that happen, so in 2009 we established a philanthropic arm of the chapter as a vehicle in which to conduct our community service work,” says Kalanos Johnson, president of the chapter’s Commitment to Excellence Foundation. “Our members are involved with service to the Hope Lodge, an urban ministry program at a local church, voter registration, and even a mentoring program for young men that helps uplift our communities. One of the basic principles of our fraternity is ‘uplift’ and we strive to continuously stay active in our communities to uplift others and try to bring about positive changes.”
“We are about unselfish living and sacrifice,” he adds. “Things in life are not always about you but about others and what you can do to help them. There is great joy in giving to others, and it’s the right thing to do. It’s what makes us who we are.”
The Hope Lodge in Atlanta is located on the Emory University campus and has private suites for cancer patients and their caregivers. The American Cancer Society has 31 Lodges nationwide that provide a comfortable home away from home, free of charge, to out-of-town patients receiving cancer treatment. Last year alone, Hope Lodge in Atlanta provided free lodging to 891 patients and caregivers who stayed at the Lodge for an average of 41 days, saving them an estimated $1.2 million in hotel costs. Without having to worry about the financial burden of paying for a hotel room for an extended period of time, patients can focus on the most important thing: getting well.
As part of their commitment to the Society, members of Delta Mu Mu serve meals quarterly to Hope Lodge patients and caregivers as part of their day of service, which includes visiting with the patients.
“If you’re a cancer patient from another state staying at the Hope Lodge, you may not have friends or anyone from your family who is able to make the trip to visit you. So we sit and talk with patients, hear their stories, and the patients and our members alike really enjoy that,” he explains.
To help fund its good works, Delta Mu Mu hosts a concert event every year, “Sundresses and Seersuckers,” with a Kentucky Derby theme. This year was the third year for the event, and it was the largest ever with more than 1,800 participants.
“We are very grateful to the members of Delta Mu Mu for their generous support of the American Cancer Society and Hope Lodge,” says Molly Herrin, director of the Coaches vs. Cancer gala, “The BasketBALL: Celebrating A Season of Hope.” “The donations and services that the organization provides are so important to maintaining Hope Lodge as a warm, welcoming home for patients who are undergoing treatment in metro Atlanta.”
For more information on Delta Mu Mu, visit www.dmmomegas.org. For information on Hope Lodge, go to www.cancer.org.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.