Theta Delta Alpha
Charities
Theta Delta Alpha SL Sorority is very passionate about giving back. We have two charities that we are very committed to raising money for which are S.O.F.T. Foundation and Me Too Movement
Below are some facts and information about each charity.
S.O.F.T. (Support Organization For Trisomy)
SOFT is a network of families and professionals dedicated to providing support and understanding to families involved in the issues and decisions surrounding the diagnosis and care in Trisomy 18, 13 and other related chromosomal disorders. Support can be provided during prenatal diagnosis, the child’s life and after the child’s passing. SOFT is committed to respect a family’s personal decision and to the notion of parent-professional relationships.
SOFT began with Kari Deanne Holladay (1977-1988) who was born with trisomy 18 and survived longer than predicted. Kari’s mother, Kris Holladay, and Dr. John C. Carey (Professor of Pediatrics/Medical Genetics, University of Utah) co-founded SOFT in 1980. Dr. Carey, medical advisor for SOFT, suggested that SOFT include both trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 families as the life span and issues of care are similar in both disorders. SOFT members also include many families having children with related disorders. Kris has written SOFT Beginnings which explains how SOFT was created and became the organization it is today. Kris also continues to inspire families and professionals with her stories about Kari. Read Gifts of the Heart [Holladay K., the SOFT Times, 2012].
Hearing that their baby has a diagnosis of any chromosome condition is so difficult for parents. In trisomy 18 and 13, statistics burden families with the anxiety of probable loss, the uncertainty of a tomorrow for those who do survive, and the sad news of mental and physical disability. Accurate and current information about these disorders and the survivors (newborn and long-term) is important for decision making, but unfortunately is not always made available to these parents. With over three decades of helping families, SOFT is uniquely able to educate parents and professionals about long-term survivors and the issues of care and coping.
SOFT holds annual conferences in different cities around the country. The 2012 conference was in St. Louis, MO and the 2013 conference will be in Providence, RI. A list of prior conferences, and the cities in which they were held, can be found here.
Me Too Movement
The ‘me too.’ movement was founded in 2006 to help survivors of sexual violence, particularly young women of color from low wealth communities, find pathways to healing. Our vision from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront for creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.
In less than six months, because of the viral #metoo hashtag, a vital conversation about sexual violence has been thrust into the national dialogue. What started as local grassroots work has expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life and helped to de-stigmatize the act of surviving by highlighting the breadth and impact of a sexual violence worldwide. Our work continues to focus on helping those who need it to find entry points for individual healing and galvanizing a broad base of survivors to disrupt the systems that allow for the global proliferation of sexual violence.
Our goal is also to reframe and expand the global conversation around sexual violence to speak to the needs of a broader spectrum of survivors. Young people, queer, trans, and disabled folks, Black women and girls, and all communities of color. We want perpetrators to be held accountable and we want strategies implemented to sustain long term, systemic change.