By Emily R. Condon

The University of Maryland Panhellenic Association passed a new philanthropic mission to advance women’s health and wellness in September, according to an email from PHA President Lindsay Lotter.

“We wanted to choose something that was close to campus, had opportunities for both philanthropy and service, and was a cause that resonated with our members,” Lotter said in an email.

PHA, the governing council of 16 sororities on campus, plans to work with the local Pregnancy Aid Center in College Park and the Health Promotion & Wellness Services at the University Health Center. The association is working on creating a volunteer calendar and a sign-up sheet for members to get involved with the Pregnancy Aid Center.

The association’s previous philanthropy was Circle of Sisterhood, an organization that funds education projects in developing countries. Lotter and the other executive board members decided that it was time for something new.

“Changing the philanthropy was something myself and the board felt really passionate about,” Lotter said.

Hammed Sirleaf, adviser of PHA for UMD’s Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, shared that he encouraged the council to talk to the people in their community to discover what they cared about.

“I charged them to … figure out what are the things that [the members of the community] are all passionate about as students and how that can be reflected in a philanthropy,” Sirleaf said about the council.

Sirleaf shared that the decision to focus on women’s health and wellness did reflect a need and interest from the Panhellenic community.

“I would say it’s something that impacts this community and something that touches a lot of their philanthropies with the individual sororities in the council,” Sirleaf said.

When the new executive board began last semester, Sirleaf said they were eager to find a new philanthropy project.

“They are very passionate about finding causes that are close to home,” Sirleaf said.

The executive director of the Pregnancy Aid Center, Mary Jelacic, expressed excitement about the association’s decision to work with the center, saying that she thinks it will benefit her patients and will be a good learning experience for the students involved.

“I think it’s wonderful that we’ve decided to partner,” Jelacic said. 

In the past, students at the School of Public Health have raised money for the Pregnancy Aid Center, according to Jelacic. Students have also interned at the center, according Nancy Smith, an associate clinical professor at SPH.

Lotter explained that the group decided on this philanthropy before women’s reproductive rights and health protests resurfaced in the media amidst the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

”The lack of legislative protection for women’s health services as a result of the loss of Roe v. Wade did reaffirm how desperately education and advocacy services are needed in College Park and across the U.S.,” Lotter said.

Featured Image: The Pregnancy Aid Center in College Park, Maryland on Sept. 24, 2022. Photo by Emily R. Condon.