Help for every stage of life: The many community service projects of Xi Omega Zeta

The Xi Omega Zeta (XOZ) chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority truly is an organization that helps in every stage of life.

The sorority began in 1920. Five women, who the sorority calls “the five pearls,” founded the organization at Howard University in Washington, DC. From there, the sorority’s reach has gone international, with XOZ representing Houston County’s local chapter.

Their recurring and most notable projects help children, teenagers, adults and the elderly.

The Journal met with XOZ at a project aimed at helping people at birth. We met the chapter as they volunteered at a maternal health expo, an event that helped pregnant mothers and new moms find resources to help their babies.

For children, XOZ partners with Pearl Stephens Elementary School providing students with school supplies, volunteering to read to the children and substitute teaching when needed.

It is a partnership near and dear to the chapter’s heart. Many members work at the school or have children who attend, and XOZ makes every opportunity count to assist wherever needed.

Garrysa Caffey, the chapter president, explained that they have a system that works when choosing to adopt a school.

“Adopt-a-school is one of our national programs as well,” Caffey said. “A lot of our programs are based upon national initiatives, and then it just trickles down from a region, then state, then a local perspective.”

The connections at the school made by XOZ benefit the school greatly.

“They’re very appreciative,” Caffey said. “With them being a Title One school, they may not have as many resources as another school.”

The biggest benefit is for the children that attend in starting their education.

“With it being elementary, that is the basis of where the students get their groundwork, their foundation,” she said. “We thought, if we adopt an elementary school, that would make a lot more of an impact than dealing with a middle or a high school.”

That does not mean they do not help high school students. They also help pay for a student’s next chapter of their life.

Every year, they offer the Gladys A. Turner Scholarship to a deserving high school senior and follow up with previous recipients to see how they are doing. This year, they received a dozen applications.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing it not only for scholastic achievement of that student, but also their need as well,” Caffey said.

This year, Kylen Sanders, a student at Houston County High School, won the scholarship. He has plans to become a food science major, and his passion for teaching healthy eating habits resonated with the chapter.

For the chapter, it is all about seeing future students go on to be successful.

“That could be something [where they] say ‘[Xi Omega Zeta] gave me a chance. They helped me achieve my dreams and goals, with whatever I plan on doing.’ That’s one of the things we strive to do as well.”

For adults, they partner with the Salvation Army Safe House, a facility that helps domestic violence victims. The chapter called the safe house a hidden gem in Houston County.

In addition to monetary donations, they provide supplies for events and holidays, most recently, an Easter egg hunt. They also donate various items to the shelter, such as cleaning supplies and bedding.

Assisting families transitioning out of the safe house, they provide supplies that help ensure that the family can get back on their feet and live independently. A couple of members volunteered alone, then XOZ decided to expand its outreach to the safe house on a chapter-wide level.

Their outreach is recurring due to the frequency of people in need of the safe house’s services, and it’s another outreach that benefits children as well.

“Unfortunately, there’s such a rotation of [women with children.] It’s a way for us to also take the kids’ minds off of their situation as well, and provide a friendly face and some support for them,” Caffey said.

Since some members are also survivors of domestic violence, the cause hits close to home for XOZ. They take their experiences, turn them into something good and pay it forward.

“A lot of people don’t know what resources they have, or what they could be able to get access to,” Caffey said.

Finally, to assist those in their golden years, the chapter has partnered with a local assisted-living facility: Southern Heritage in Centerville.

The chapter stumbled upon the project and has made it a staple of their outreach efforts to the community.

Pre-pandemic, XOZ delivered supplies, visited residents to chat, and hosted social events like game nights. During the pandemic, they donated protective equipment, personal items and clothing based on the facility’s needs.

They brought Pearl Stephens Elementary in on their efforts, too. Students made cards for those at the facility and wrote encouraging notes. The chapter would then deliver them to patients.

If they brought too much, Southern Heritage passed on the love and delivered supplies to their sister facilities in Byron and Macon.

In every project they do, their core value aligns with the sorority’s motto.

“We are a community conscious, action oriented organization. That is the motto of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. We want to be community conscious, where we’re making an impact in our community.”

For more information on the full scope of Zeta Phi Beta’s projects, they encourage the public to visit their website: zphib1920.org.

You can stay updated on the local chapter via their Facebook page: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Xi Omega Zeta Chapter Warner Robins.

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