Spotlight on FAMU community service organizations

Florida A&M University has 386 organizations as part of its campus life. Many of these organizations are made up of service orgs. that hosts events to give back to the community.

SISTUHS, Inc., Kappa Psi Psi Healthcare Sorority, Inc. and Progressive Black Men are just a few service organizations that have a presence on campus and also in the Tallahassee community.

SISTUHS, Inc. is a community service organization chartered on FAMU’s campus on March 21, 1999. Breanna Evans-Taylor, a senior Psychology and Public Relations student as well as President of SISTUHS, said the organization’s purpose is to serve the Tallahassee area and connect women of color.

“Not only do we serve the community, but we have a group of women establish a relationship together to learn about themselves and gain leadership through learning,” Taylor said. “We emphasize African women and all women, we push culture and tradition, enabling us to cater to all audiences.”

This semester, SISTUHS has put on a women’s retreat and male appreciation day. Both programs were dedicated to uplift the male and female communities.

“We gave back to our African-American brothers,” Taylor said. “For the women’s retreat we were able to highlight black businesses. We had a financial literacy speaker and also a speaker from our sister chapter at FSU emphasizing the importance of spirituality.”

SISTUHS has also worked with the Kearney Center and Delta Kappa Omega Providence Community Center.

“We have gotten so close to the people in the Kearney center that they even recognize some of us outside of our nalia,” Evans-Taylor said. “Volunteering at the Omega Community Center, the ladies in the front were surprised that we came the weekend before spring break, I realized that it’s the things that are not expected whether big or small, that can really help and impact a community.”

Kappa Psi Psi Healthcare Sorority, Inc. was founded on FAMU’s campus on April 12 and 19,1997.

Hailee Robertson, a senior pre-occupational therapy student and member of Kappa Psi Psi Healthcare Sorority, said that the purpose of their organization is to remind the community about the importance of healthcare.

“We want to advance and raise health awareness in the community and you cannot raise awareness without reaching out to the community.” Robertson said.

This semester, members of the sorority participated in garbage clean-ups and food giveaways to the homeless in the Frenchtown area.

“We make lunch bags, and give it to the homeless every other weekend,” Robertson said. “Whenever we are out here they come, and we stop and talk to inform them and give health tips.”

Progressive Black Men was chartered on FAMU’s campus Oct. 21, 2000.

Ronald Woodruff, the Vice President of PBM, said that the purpose of the organization is to promote excellence in black men.

“We aim to grow the black man through mentoring and participating in community service,” Woodruff said. “Attire is really big, in order to carry yourself as a professional you need to do so with appearance and its importance needs to be shifted into the black community.”

FAMU’s chapter of PBM mentors boys from local elementary, middle, and high schools.

“Personally, I like mentoring elementary school kids more than anything, they are so positive because that have big dreams and they make my day.”

SISTUHS, Inc., Kappa Psi Psi Healthcare Sorority, Inc. and Progressive Black Men continue to be prominent faces on FAMU’s campus.