Every semester, we host events for our philanthropies! Our three primary philanthropies are the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (or ANAD), the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (or CFF), and the DPhiE Educational Foundation.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS
Delta Phi Epsilon supports The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). ANAD advocates for the development of healthy attitudes, bodies, and behaviors. ANAD promotes eating disorder awareness, prevention and recovery through the support and education of individuals, families, and professionals.
DPhiE’s motto is “Esse Quam Videri”, or “To Be Rather Than To Seem To Be”. This motto inspires each of our sisters at MIT and all of Delta Phi Epsilon to support each other in becoming the healthiest, happiest, and best versions of themselves possible. We believe that ANAD shares this vision, which is why DPhiE has had a partnership with them since 1976.
The goal of our partnership with ANAD is to raise awareness. Preventing and identifying eating disorders early can save lives. We hope to help as many people as possible by providing all the support and resources we can.
Each year we host ANAD Week, a series of events to raise awareness for ANAD on campus and lift our fellow students’ spirits and self-esteems. This year, we raised awareness for ANAD by staffing an information booth in Lobby 10, a busy corridor of MIT. We also fundraised for ANAD through an event at Oath Pizza and a film screening in collaboration with MIT LSC. We also held our first annual candlelight vigil to honor, celebrate, and support eating disorder recovery. The vigil is meant to commemorate those that are still actively in eating disorder recovery, those that have recovered, and those that have lost lives their lives to an eating disorder. During the candle lighting ceremony, we also take the ANAD pledge.
Other events DPhiE has hosted include:
- Art for ANAD: DPhiE members sell handmade art items to raise money to support ANAD.
- Karin Lewis Talk: Karin Lewis is a specially trained eating disorder therapist who presented a talk for the wider MIT community.
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, founded in 1955, is the world’s leader in the search for a cure, funding promising research and working to provide access to quality, specialized care and treatments for people with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infection and limits the ability to breathe over time. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, thanks to the foundation, many CF sufferers can live into their 30s, 40s, and beyond. Nearly every CF drug on the market today was made possible because of the Foundation’s support.
In 1957, Phyllis Kossof, a DPhiE whose daughter was born with CF, turned to her sisters for support. Since then, Delta Phi Epsilon has raised over 1 million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
About the Comedy for a Cure:
Our chapter hosts an annual comedy night called “Comedy for a Cure” to raise money and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! Previous iterations of the event have occurred in person and virtually featuring local comics, the MIT improv team, and more. We have raised over $1,500 and brought laughter to the MIT community!
About the 65 Roses White Day Grams:
White Day is celebrated on March 14, one month after Valentine’s Day, where give gifts to those who gave them Valentine’s Day gifts. DPhiE sells White Day Grams with wooden roses, white rabbit candy, teddy bear keychains and more to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!
About the 65 Roses Gala:
In the past our chapter has hosted the 65 Roses Gala where we raised over $2,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and brought more awareness of the foundation to MIT. (If you say 65 Roses just right, it sounds like Cystic Fibrosis). The Gala featured performances from several MIT student groups including the Chorallaries, the Logarhythms, and Syncopasian. Speakers at the event included an MIT student with Cystic Fibrosis. This black-tie occasion has become our largest annual philanthropy event.
DELTA PHI EPSILON EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
The DPhiE Educational Foundation (The Foundation) is an organization by sisters, for sisters. The Foundation, founded in 1966, serves our sisters and their legacies with educational scholarships and educational development programs.
Previously, our own members Allie Hexley and Vivian Song have received scholarships from the DPhiE Educational Foundation.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
We aim to participate in at least 3 service events per semester. We hope to make an impact on issues our sisters are passionate about and involve the local community, both MIT and Boston at large.
We’ve volunteered at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. We helped zoo keepers clean habitats and maintain a safe living environment for the animals.
We have also volunteered cleaning the Esplanade, at the Salvation Army, and at Landmark Senior Living Community.
Previously we performed a blanket-making service project with Kappa Alpha Theta, another sorority on campus, and with the DPhiE chapter at Northeastern. The blankets were donated to Project Linus. Project Linus provides these homemade blankets to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, or anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug.
We also worked with Cradles to Crayons, an organization that provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play. Our sisters helped sort through items donated to Cradles to Crayons and prepare them to be gifted to those in need.