Our Reason for Giving
This Giving Tuesday, the AOII Foundation would like to celebrate some sisters who are ardent supporters of our work. These sisters are from all over the country and each one has her own reason for giving. Please read on for some give-spiration!
SISTERHOOD:
Katie Brown, Upsilon Beta (U of Arkansas – Fort Smith)
Katie Brown shared this with us as we chatted about her passion for the Foundation.
“I support it because I have arthritis myself . . . I know the Foundation supports the Arthritis Foundation, and that is why I donate to the AOII Foundation.”
What makes AOII’s sisterhood so special?
I know I am never alone and that I will have friends to back me up. I went to college not knowing anyone, and I’ve met a lot of people here that I can see in my life in the future.
What does generosity mean to you?
Generosity to me means that someone is selfless and gives to other people without thinking of what they will get in return.
How have you experienced the generosity of your sisters?
Having arthritis, I get sick sometimes. My sisters always support me and have my back. I am the Director of NME, and my sisters have supported me through this position and helped me constantly.
SCHOLARSHIP
Ghada Abou-Haidar, Zeta Pi (U of Alabama Birmingham)
Ghada Abou-Haidar is a former scholarship recipient who we featured in our 2019 fall appeal. We caught up with Ghada about how her scholarship impacted her:
“The leadership experiences I was afforded through the Zeta Pi Chapter, namely having the opportunity to serve as Chapter President, have truly given me the skills I needed to confidently navigate my career as an attorney.”
Why do you support the AOII Foundation?
I support the AOII Foundation because it has supported me throughout my collegiate time in AOII and into my professional career as an attorney. The Foundation is a true illustration of a lifelong sisterhood of individuals who want to see the next generation of AOII grow far past their collegiate years.
What does generosity mean to you?
To me, generosity looks like volunteering your time, providing financial support, or offering guidance and mentorship in an effort to help someone else become the best version of themselves.
How have you experienced the generosity of your sisters?
“Through the generosity of the AOII Foundation and the large network of sisters across the US and Canada, I received a scholarship to help fund my law school tuition. Beginning any kind of higher education program is overwhelmingly costly, so knowing I had the financial support of the Foundation provided the encouragement I needed to pursue my goal of becoming an attorney.”
Taylor Anne Beckham, Delta Epsilon (Jacksonville State U)
Taylor Anne Beckham, another scholarship recipient, shared this with us as we spoke about why she supports the AOII Foundation:
“Since I was a new member, I have been humbled and honored to be a part of an organization where women are willing to help others from all over the nation and Canada they have never met before, simply because they are sisters. That exact bond and desire to see other women flourish are what inspire me to give each year.”
How have you experienced the generosity of your sisters?
The scholarship application from the Foundation opened in the fall semester of 2019. With encouragement from my pledge class sisters, I decided to go for it! In the summer of 2020, much to my surprise, I received a call from one of the AOII Foundation representatives. She informed me that I had won a scholarship that would afford me the opportunity to graduate with my undergraduate degree debt free. Education is an investment that no one can take from you and something you must earn, and I am so elated to know that my sisters acknowledge the significance of scholarship.
What makes AOII’s sisterhood so special?
Each of my experiences, milestones, and accomplishments has been made that much sweeter with my sisters by my side. Having women who share your values and ambition is a remarkable entity. AOII’s sisterhood is made special by the people it is made up of.
Do you have anything else you would like to share?
Give what you can and give often! Stella, Bess, Helen, and Jessie would be proud of the ambition you are inspiring!
PROGRAMMING
Leah Horton, Tau Gamma (Eastern Washington U)
Leah Horton, Chair of the Education Committee for the Fraternity, believes in the power of giving on Giving Tuesday. She told us:
“I think Giving Tuesday is such a great opportunity to reflect all the wonderful and positive things we have going on in our lives and being intentional about making a difference in the world . . . but when you think about all the ways that AOII has benefited you in your own life, it’s the opportunity to make a choice to give that day . . . I’m a big believer in women’s fraternity in general, and we are so lucky to have the fraternal experience.”
Why do you support the AOII Foundation?
I think the condensed version is something along the lines of [the fact that] I take seriously the vows that I took as a senior transitioning to alumnae status. I strive to further AOII through my commitment to the Fraternity and donations. I made that promise at 22, and I try to follow through. If I want to really be truthful and have a say in what happens in the Fraternity and Foundation, I have to put my money where my mouth is. It is an investment in what it means to be a good sister.
What does generosity mean to you?
To me, generosity is something we are called to embody via ritual. So many of the values of AOII that we hold near and dear are reflected in the concept of generosity. To be generous is to live those values through our ritual that we are called to do.
How have you experienced the generosity of your sisters?
In countless ways! I can’t narrow it down; being a member of AOII has opened me up to so many opportunities that I have been able to positively impact my own life via the work of a sister or in proximity to the work of a sister. I’ve been professionally advanced because of sisters, [and] Lori Goede sent me flour from Florida to Oregon because I couldn’t find any during the pandemic and I wanted to make cookies with my son. I had mentioned it on my education committee call, and she sent the whole box of ingredients to my house with her favorite recipe.
What makes AOII’s sisterhood so special?
We have the best sisterhood ever! I don’t think I have ever met a group of women who are quicker to act with intention than those that are AOIIs. Our AOII members are so easy to raise their hands to help one another, offer words of encouragement, and show up through action for one another . . . I think it’s the bond around shared intention and creating a better world . . . we just are the best—period!
Lynn Tecza, Gamma Phi (Seton Hall U)
Lynn Tecza, a Senior Educational Leadership Consultant for the Fraternity, also loves how much the Foundation helps her succeed in her role. She shared with us the following:
“I encourage my fellow sisters to support the Foundation through a gift. There’s no dollar amount but consider giving based on how meaningful your experience was. And what you give will help with the future experiences of AOII.”
Why do you support the AOII Foundation?
I support the Foundation because I’m an AOII alumna who recognizes that the chapters have had some great experiences. I had some fantastic leadership experiences at Gamma Phi (collegiate chapter) which led me to being an ELC, and the friendships I made, is why I give back in a financial way. I also want current and future members to have the same experience that I had.
How have you experienced the generosity of your sisters?
In many ways! I have experienced so much generosity while traveling as an ELC for the past few years and while a collegiate AOII. I went through recruitment in the spring of 2018 and the sisters were super kind and willing to hear my story and answered my questions. Also, through our philanthropic events – I’ve watched sisters be generous with me but with each other. Collegiate members have given up their beds for me and homecooked meals, and it gives me a home away from home when I’m out on the road.
What makes AOII’s sisterhood so special?
We are very lucky to be a select group of young women who share our ritual and sisterhood, and we have a lot of fun. Through traveling to around 40 AOII chapters that while we share those same core values every chapter is so unique and AOII encourages our chapters to be that way. I go to schools, and they ask what they notice, and I say every chapter has its own identity.
OUR FUTURE
Barb Bruning, Theta Psi (U of Toledo)
Barb Bruning, an AOII Foundation Board member, has dedicated a lot of her alumnae AOII life to furthering the Foundation’s mission. She shared with us some thoughts as she finishes her last term as a Board member:
“When I was a collegiate initiated in 1968, the Foundation wasn’t founded yet. We had just started supporting arthritis when I pledged. [Later] I realized all the good the Foundation was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it. I just want to be a part of something that helps so many people with what we do.”
What makes AOII’s sisterhood so special?
The one thing that people when they first pledge AOII don’t realize is what a lifetime experience it is. Sure, they know our rituals, but they don’t realize as an alum, you can connect with sisters all over the country. Wherever you go, you have instant friends, even as you grow older and more experienced. If you stay connected, you still get the benefits of sisterhood. When I moved, I didn’t know anybody, and a woman came up to me at the YMCA because I was wearing an AOII shirt, and she invited me to the alum chapter.
Do you have anything else you would like to share?
I have had a lot of rewards for working with the Foundation. In 2012, I started a scholarship and there have been 10 recipients thus far. I have received thank-you notes from all of them and stayed connected with a few of them. One of my scholarship recipients is a doctor, and it makes me feel so good that I might have played some part in the success of these people.
What do you feel is the future of the AOII Foundation?
We have grown a lot in the past few years with numerous new scholarships and the archives’ museum. The fact is over 70% of those who applied for a scholarship received one this year. I have arthritis, and I know the Arthritis Foundation really values the contributions we have made to them. The leadership training that members have through the Foundation is such a great advantage because when you’re in college you don’t always get that opportunity, and these skills will be of value to them for the rest of their lives!