Convoy of Hope - F.E.A.S.T.

Convoy of Hope in Springfield, Missouri, has a mission statement of definition, "we are a faith-based, nonprofit organization with a passion to feed the world through children's feeding initiatives, community events, and disaster response."

AS the need for food in Haiti continues to grow in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, Convoy of Hope has been working to ship 11.8 million meals and other relief supplies to Haiti. The meals are designed to provide calorie-dense nutrition as each rich and soy meal also includes vitamins, minerals, and dried vegetables.

The Frontenac United Methodist Church (FUMC), under the leadership of Pastor Annie Ricker, has partnered with Convoy of Hope to create a food packing community involvement event - F.E.A.S.T. On Saturday, March 23rd, teams of volunteers from various church groups, families and organizations throughout Southeast Kansas worked together for 1.5 hours to package 10,000 individual meals to be delivered to the children of Haiti.

One of these groups of volunteers consists of members of the Phi Tau Omega Philanthropic Sorority (PTO). PTO's national platform for 2018-19 is "Feed the Hungry". So this opportunity was an obvious fit.

FUMC Pastor Annie Ricker is a member of the Theta Epsilon Chapter of PTO and was instrumental in connecting the sorority with the event. Members from the Theta Epsilon Chapter (Girard, KS), Alpha Kappa Chapter (Arma, KS), and Phi Kappa Chapter (Pittsburg, KS) all took part in this worthy endeavor.

Formed in 1925 by eight women, Phi Tau Omega became a national social and philanthropic sorority. With chapters in five different states, Phi Tau Omega's generosity reaches numerous communities.

National philanthropies include Box Tops for Education, Ronald McDonald House, and Coupons for Troops. Each chapter selects local philanthropic endeavors to benefit by volunteer hours as well as monetary donations.

With an active membership of over 240 women, Phi Tau Omega is always looking for women who share our passion for friendship and philanthropy. For more information about our sorority, please visit our web site at www.phitauomega.org or contact ptosorority@gmail.com.

Invisible Illnesses Become Visible

As National President of my philanthropic sorority, Phi Tau Omega, I have the honor of selecting a National Platform that all chapters recognize. As a Multiple Sclerosis Warrior for almost 18 years, I have selected Invisible Illnesses.

Invisible Illness or Disability is an umbrella term that captures a whole spectrum of hidden disabilities or challenges that are primarily neurological in nature.

Invisible Disabilities are certain kinds of disabilities that are not immediately apparent to others. It is estimated that 10% of people in the U.S. have a medical condition which could be considered a type of invisible disability. 96% of people with chronic medical conditions live with a condition that is invisible. These people do not use a cane or any assistive device and act as if they didn’t have a medical condition. About 25% of them have some type of activity limitation, ranging from mild to severe; the remaining 75% are not disabled by their chronic conditions. Although the disability creates a challenge for the person who has it, the reality of the disability can be difficult for others to recognize or acknowledge. Others may not understand the cause of the problem if they cannot see evidence of it in a visible way.

Invisible Illnesses include, but are not limited to: Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Mental Illness, Diabetes, Digestive Disorders, Migraines, Heart Conditions, Infertility, Lupus and Lyme Disease.