On September 30, 2021, Alpha Chi Omega at TCU hosted our first-ever A Chi Glow fall philanthropy event. This event was a glow-in-the-dark dance party fundraiser to benefit The Women’s Center of Tarrant County, our local philanthropy partner. Through ticket sales and donations from friends and family, our chapter raised over $8,000 for the Women’s Center.
At the event, which was held at the Vintage Rail, we had pizza, yard games, photo ops, and of course, lots of dancing, with music provided by the TCU R3-MIX DJ Club.
This event was a perfect way to kick off National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence awareness is Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy, adopted in 1992. The sisters of the Iota Lambda chapter are incredibly passionate about this issue and blessed that we get to work closely with The Women’s Center of Tarrant County to help women in our community.
Nationwide, one in four women has been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website. 43% of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, digital, verbal, or other controlling abuse. However, over half of all college students (57%) say it’s difficult to identify dating abuse. The mission of Alpha Chi Omega chapters nationwide is to educate others on the signs of an unhealthy relationship and encourage peers to seek out healthy relationships.
On October 12, our sisters tabled at TCU to encourage others to identify healthy relationships. At the event, participants wrote what love is to them on hearts. There were many definitions, from “love is Harry Styles” to “love is safety”, but one thing’s for sure: love shouldn’t hurt.
The women of the Iota Lambda chapter of Alpha Chi Omega are excited to continue educating others on what true, healthy love is throughout this month and the rest of the year.
If you or someone you know is experiencing an unhealthy or abusive relationship, there is help available. Contact The Women’s Center Hotline 24/7 at 817-927-2737 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). At TCU, you can speak to confidential advocate Ms. Leah Carnahan by phone at 817-257-5225, by going to Jarvis Hall 232 (inside the Counseling Center), or by email at l.carnahan@tcu.edu.