Kappa Alpha Theta is proud to be national supporters of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA is an organization that provides mentors for abused, abandoned and neglected children.  These mentors establish close bonds with the children as they interact one-on-one and serve as a voice for the children during the judicial process.

The Omicron chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta supports CASA in a number of ways including donations resulting from our annual philananthropic fundraising event, Kat at Bat. Over the course of the past two years, we have donated a total of $13,450 to CASA. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the chapter’s diligent effort we were recognized as the Top Giving Chapter to CASA at this year’s Kappa Alpha Theta national convention. Along with our monetary gifts, each year we participate in the CASA Glamour Gown Drive, which provides prom dresses for young women of CASA.

In the months leading up to the Glamour Gown Drive, we collect lightly used dresses, shoes, and accessories from Thetas as well as the Greek Community and USC at large. The actual event is held over two days in the Downtown Los Angeles area with our members volunteering as personal shoppers for the girls of CASA. We help them pick out dresses, shoes to match, purses, jewelry, and anything else they might need. It is a wonderful event that allows us to become more involved in our national philanthropy with hands on service.

Kappa Alpha Theta is always looking for service projects in our own community. Reaching out to not only our national philanthropy, CASA, but events that can improve the area around us has always been a priority. Recently, we had “Theta Paint-out”, where a large number of girls partnered with a corporate sponsor and painted over the graffiti that was once along walls in our neighborhood. It was a fun day event where the girls could help beautify our own neighborhood.

A few months later, a group of 50 girls traveled to a local after school center, the Blazers Community Center. It is a safe place for children of the area to play games and get homework help in the afternoons. Theta spent a Saturday repainting the house, planting flowers, and cleaning out the lot next door. Our biggest accomplishment was painting a mural inside the school house for the kids to have. It was a wonderful time, and made it all the better to know it was for the children in the USC vicinity.

Many of our women have been actively involved in Take Back the Night, an organization on campus that brings together people from different walks of life in order to raise awareness about and provide an open forum for people affected by sexual violence. Thetas also participate in Swim with Mike, a school wide swim-a-thon, which raises money for physically challenged student athletes. This year, a group of Thetas formed a team that raised money for this event. A number of girls joined teams in Relay for Life, a 24-hour walk-a-thon fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

** To learn more about the Los Angeles Chapter of CASA, please click here!