Over the years, Eta Eta has been involved in many worthwhile projects at the local, state and national levels.Our past local projects have included: 1974 through 1990- A free speech/language and hearing screening for children of LaPorte County,IN was conducted, at several sites each year, in the month of May. This screening program was found to no longer be necessary when new State and Federal Guidelines, introduced in 1990, required that the school systems provide speech language services to children beginning at the age of 3. This meant that the schools would be responsible for identification of speech/language/hearing needs for the 3-5 year olds we had been focusing on in our screening. On occasion, we still find some children who have "slipped through the cracks" in our summer speech/language clinic. 1976- A Patriotism Program, including- history, customs and proper care of was prepared and presented to 15 area schools. In conjunction with this, hand-held flags were sold at the 4th of July Parade and regular-sized flags were sold to the general public. Proceeds were used to help with costs for the Annual Summer Speech and Hearing Clinic and the LaPorte County Public Library flag pole (mentioned below). In that same year,( the sorority's Bicentenial Project) funds were raised and a flag pole was donated to the LaPorte County Public Library. Dedication of the pole took place on Flag Day. A US flag was presented by then U.S. Representative John Brademas. The State Representative at that time, Clifford D. Arnold, provided the Indiana State Flag. In the 1980's, we completely redecorated and furnished the TV room for the women residents of the LaPorte County Home. Also, in the 1980's and early 90's, the post-prom for LaPorte High School was decorated and run by our chapter. It was done in cooperation with the junior and senior classes. In the early 90's, the classes chose to take over the responsibility for post-prom, themselves. |
Our current local projects include:The making of cheeseballs was begun as the major money raising project for our sorority, in 1978. In the fall of each year, we get together on one Saturday and produce (typically) over 3000 cheeseballs for sale to the community. This money funds our annual summer speech/language clinic. An additional special project was begun just a few years ago. We hold a 'piggy back raffle' of themed baskets, during the local Sunflower Fair, each September. Themes vary from: national sports teams such as the Chicago White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks, Indian college favorites such as Notre Dame, Ball State and Purdue, holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, and many more. Local businesses help greatly by contributing services and merchandise for the many creatively wrapped baskets. The largest task that we accomplish each year is the 4 week long, Summer Speech/Language Clinic. Begun in the Summer of 1979, it provides continued speech/language services to preschool and elementary-aged children in LaPorte County, Indiana (when school is not in session to provide thesesame services). Our sorority locates a facility to house the therapy and a qualified Speech Language Pathologist to provide the services. In rare instances, the needs of the children are first identified through the summer program and then referred on to the schools at the start of the next school year. All monies to cover the cost of the program (with the exception of a minimal materials fee) are raised by the sorority through the sale of the cheeseballs, etc. We also provide cookies and hostesses for serving the food and beverages at the LaPorte County Symphony concerts, yearly, as well as supporting them monetarily. It is such a valued asset to our community to have the beautiful music that the symphony provides. We hold an annual bingo party for the residents of the county home...providing entertainment, social interaction (for all of us) and lots and lots of ice cream and prizes for the winners. Scholarships are awarded to selected applicants entering the fields of speech/language,education, music and theater. Upon request, these scholarships are renewed, yearly. On an individual and/or chapter basis, Eta Eta members provide services to many other worthwhile causes in the community including: Dunebrook (shelter for women), Salvation Army (bell ringing and food collections), LaPorte Preschool Project (a preschool for those children in the community, whose families are unable to afford other preschools...as Head Start is not available here), and many, many more projects. |
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