Partnering with Communities in Schools, student group Virtuous Sisterhood is planning to attend Saturday school at Abilene high schools.
“We are looking to serve the Abilene community by mentoring youth,” said Virtuous Sisterhood President Jamilah Spears. “In the past, Virtuous Sisterhood has seen the effects of being able to mentor young girls and we’re looking to continue reaching out.”
Spears, junior communication major from Covina, Calif., said Virtuous Sisterhood hopes to begin volunteering this semester, but no concrete plans have been set.
“We have not actually finalized or prepared any meetings with this organization at this time. There is still work in progress to be done,” said Joe Cunningham, program director of CIS. He said Virtuous Sisterhood made a presentation last week and CIS is “considering volunteer opportunities”.
Spears said Virtuous Sisterhood is continually looking for volunteer, mentorship and outreach opportunities, especially during the holiday season.
The club’s vice-president, Kholo Theledi, sophomore family studies and sociology major from Pretoria, South Africa, said she believes this sort of volunteering is an integral part of who Virtuous Sisterhood is. They feel it is important to reach out to young people in Abilene so that they may grow and hopefully one day be part of their own community, she said.
“I believe that that is how we impact people for Christ and help the kingdom grow,” she said. “Walking through life with people is what God calls us to and that is what Virtuous Sisterhood is about.”
Once a schedule is established, club members will volunteer their Saturday mornings to tutor students who attend Abilene high schools.
“Our youth in Abilene often miss the opportunity to attend a university despite Abilene being a college town housing ACU, McMurry University and Hardin Simmons University,” Spears says. “Exposing our youth to college early by establishing relationships and reaching out as consistently as possible might help influence them to set their goals higher and achieve more.”
