2020 Alumnae Club Excellence Award Winners
Alumnae Excellence in Alumnae Engagement
Small: Cypress Creek- Northwest Houston, Texas, Alumnae Club
Despite 6% of club members leaving the area and the additional stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cypress Creek club created a desire for membership through modified interest groups, monthly events and service projects such as packing Thanksgiving meals and collecting books for a nursing facility.
Large: Northern New Jersey Alumnae Club
In 2020, the Northern New Jersey club kept members engaged through virtual events such as “Getting Organized? Never Throw These Things Out” and a Q&A with "American Dirt" author Jeanine Cummins, as well as outdoor lunch bunch meetings and participating in Pennsylvania Eta’s virtual initiation. Alumnae Excellence in Fun and Friendship
Small: Manchester Area, Connecticut, Alumnae Club
The Manchester Area club made new members feel like old friends through events like its virtual potluck kickoff, virtual Leading with Values® seminars and a meeting with Fraternity Archivist Fran Beque to learn about Pi Phi’s involvement in the women’s suffrage movement.
Large: Greater Kansas City, Kansas, Alumnae Club
In 2020, the Greater Kansas City club focused on building personal connections through fresh approaches such as a pen pal program with Golden and Diamond Arrow members as well as “Angels Arrest Anxiety” – a Zoom reality-check on anxiety.
Alumnae Excellence in Literacy Initiatives
Small: Arrowhead-West Phoenix, Arizona, Alumnae Club
To meet the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arrowhead-West club listened to community needs and provided support by building and supplying three Little Free Libraries, providing books to Thompson Ranch Elementary School through Pi Phi’s FDS500 Grant Program and financially supporting the YMCA’s Y Academy after school program which assisted students with virtual learning.
Large: Northern Virginia Alumnae Club
In 2020, the Northern Virginia club made a $2,000 donation to Pi Beta Phi Foundation’s Literacy Fund with a matching grant to Hybla Valley Elementary School. The club also supported Ayuda – a local nonprofit which provides legal, social and language services to low-income immigrants in the area – through Pi Phi’s FDS500 Grant Program.
Alumnae Excellence in Community Service (Non-Literacy)
Small: Jackson Metro, Mississippi, Alumnae Club
Although the Jackson Metro club had limited in-person community service participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club impacted its community through $500 donations to local charities in each of the counties that make up the tri-county area including the Salvation Army in Hinds County, MadCap in Madison County and the Center for Violence Prevention in Rankin.
Large: San Jose, California, Alumnae Club
The San Jose club encouraged members to support their community by volunteering, purchasing goods and making financial donations. Their efforts supported local and global organizations such as Family Giving Tree, Second Harvest Food Bank, the American Cancer Society and HomeFirst – a local organization dedicated to assisting unhoused community members.
Alumnae Excellence in Lifelong Commitment
Small: Glen Ellyn-Wheaton, Illinois, Alumnae Club
Last year, the Glen Ellyn club sent handwritten notes to recent graduates living in the area – congratulating them and inviting them to learn more about the club. All members living in the area were invited to join the club for its first meeting, holiday celebration and Founders’ Day.
Large: Bostonian, Massachusetts, Alumnae Club
The Bostonian club celebrates the various stages of Pi Phi membership with cross stitched Pi Phi Pin Pillows given to Massachusetts Gamma graduating seniors and Golden Arrows, as well as the club’s New Member Committee which fosters relationships and strengthens communication with members new to the area.
Published May 18, 2021