Greensboro Reporter

The Greensboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta INC is teaching Greensboro girls the importance of giving back to the community after a session at Swann Middle School.

“I hope the girls walk away with a sense of community and what it means actually to give back,” Desiree Best, president of the Greensboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, told ABC 45 News. “What it means to actually do work with your hands and how positive that makes you feel and the positive impact it will make on the community.” 

Delta Academy is a program for at-risk females ages 11 to 14, whose goal is to prevent academic failure, low self-esteem and crippled futures. 

The program distributed trash bags to the girls so they could collect leaves and trash. They also handed out paintbrushes, so the young teens could paint over chipping paint on public property, as needed.

“It’s an uplifting moment for me, being able to be a positive role model,” Nanette Smith, one of the program leaders, told ABC 45 News. “I’m going to (go) away that knowing we’re not able to help everyone, but as long as we help one, that’s a goal in itself.”

A secondary purpose of the event was to expose young girls to different opportunities. 

“We want to be able to dissect different areas of life, so they know it’s not just cut and dried,” Smith said. “You can be a doctor, a lawyer, there are other things. There are trades you may have a passion for."

Amayah Means, a student at Swann Middle School who took part in the day’s activities, called it an eye-opening opportunity.

“It makes me feel appreciated because they’re coming out to help our school look better, and it helps make a positive learning environment,” Means told ABC 45 News. “So them coming out here to help us clean up and make our school look new, even though it’s 100 years old, is very nice."

Angella Hauser, a program director, said they want to instill a message in the girls.

“Our overarching theme is little girls with dreams become women of vision,” Hauser said, according to ABC 45 News. “So that’s what we really focus on. That they’re little girls right now, but they have some dreams and we want to help them become women of vision."