Sororities’ MLK Day Event Moves Outdoors, Targets Needy Families

Organizers of an annual indoors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day community teach-in took this year’s event across the street and outdoors Monday — with a lesson by example in community partnership.

The annual day of celebration has been around for 50 years, spearheaded by the Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The conference was hosted at Wexler-Grant Community School in recent years with day-long family-oriented civic and cultural workshops. African-American professionals came each year to share their expertise with children and adults.

Due to Covid-19, the MLK committee reimagined the event this year to take place outside the Dixwell police substation behind Dixwell Plaza at 26 Charles St. Sixteen organizations came together to collect donations for Women of the Village, which helps needy families.

“We’re want to keep King’s legacy and dream alive,” said Greater New Haven NAACP President Doris Dumas.

The MLK committee considered doing a Zoom event, then decided against it to give the community a break from online gatherings. ​“The kids are Zoomed out,” Dumas said.

Nina Silva, co-chair of the Dixwell Community Management Team, suggested helping Dixwell’s Women of the Village food pantry.

MLK committee Chair Sondi Jackson brought the idea to the committee. The group ran with it.

Women of the Village has run a food pantry out of the Dixwell police substation on Charles Street since 2018. The pantry’s supply is usually made up of donations from Trader Joes, Panera Bread, and occasionally local organizations. Every Tuesday the pantry distributes bags of groceries to residents at 26 Charles St.

Donations from the organzations Monday included food, masks, toiletries, money, and children’s books. During their distribution tomorrow, the pantry will give families packs of 10 to 15 masks. 

This year’s day of service addressed a concern that the Covid pandemic heightened since its start food insecurity and ​“community helping community.”

The pantry team plans to prepare at least 100 food packages for their distribution tomorrow from 1 to 2 p.m.

“We always have a need for donations because we don’t turn anyone away,” said Assistant Director Andrea Mastracchio

All of the organizations assured the pantry team that this would not be their last partnership

“Text me whenever, and I will get it out to the masses,” said Jacquelyn Patrick of Eureka Chapter #2 Order Eastern Star PHA.

“We hope this happens more, because the community needs to eat,” said Women of the Village Director Sharon Steves.

This is the pantry’s biggest donation since its start three years ago.

“This is a testiment of how we are moving forward collectively,” said Shenae Draughn, president of Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Watch the video below to hear from the sponsors at Monday’s event.