Delta Zeta makes some kids' Valentine's Day a little sweeter

While some consider Valentine's Day a day for couples, others think of it as a good opportunity to share.

For their second rush party of the semester, the sisters of Delta Zeta sorority invited anyone interested to join them in a community service session Tuesday ­ making Valentine's baskets for less fortunate kids.

Three new women attended the community service session. Delta Zeta has 52 members.

While Lindsay Ritchie, president of Delta Zeta, explained to everyone what the baskets were for and who would be receiving them, the rest of the girls gathered around the table, equipped with construction paper, paint and candy.

"These kinds of rush meetings are good to help people understand what sororities are all about, with community service and sisterhood," Jody Nichols, vice president for membership, said.

Normally, Delta Zeta community service functions benefit its national philanthropy Gallaudet, a nationwide school for the hearing impaired.

This time however, the Valentine's baskets went to children at Project Hope, which is a 17-unit transitional housing complex next to the Huntington City Mission.

Project Hope's mission is to provide families with the time and supportive environment necessary to improve life management skills. The goal is to help families break the cycle of homelessness and become self sufficient. All the residents at project hope are one- or two-parent homeless families.

The baskets are for the kids, who are aged from 8 months to 13 years.

"There might even be some left over for the moms too," Julie Hagan, manager of Project Hope, said.

Delta Zeta has been volunteering with Project Hope since October 1999.

Hagan is not a stranger to the sorority; she was a member while she attended Marshall.

"Delta Zeta has very strong ties with Project Hope." Hagan said.