BALTIMORE — This year, in partnership with the CIAA, 30 chapters within the Divine Nine Greek Organizations from all over the U.S. are coming to Baltimore, and bringing hundreds of essential items along with them.
For the past few years Baltimore’s Divine Nine Organizations have been Blanketing Baltimore and this is the second year the organizations have partnered with the CIAA which has expanded its efforts.
“This is our 11th year we have been blanketing Baltimore with all types of resources last year was school supplies and this year we’re partnered with the Y of Central Maryland and will actually be donating toiletry items for the youth a Baltimore," says Gloria Cooper-Blue.
Since one of the largest collegiate basketball tournaments came to Baltimore, Clarrissa Taylor-Jackson says it has been the perfect opportunity to have chapters from around the U.S. increase the amount of items donated each year.
“That’s our opportunity to give resources that are needed to our entire metropolitan Baltimore," says Taylor Jackson.
The organizations have been collecting items for the entire month of February.
Each of the 9 fraternities and sororities competing to see who can donate the most.
Thursday, the final donations will be collected and organized ahead of the CIAA fan fest event over the weekend.
“We’re collecting everything from lotions to deodorants to soaps to female, feminine hygiene products, all of those things were collecting," says Cooper-Blue
The Divine Nine Organizations are also participating at a step show at the fan fest which adds another level of competition, but Jackson says the most important part is giving back.
“At the end of the day, all of our organizations are service organizations before anything else. We were different colors, but we all had the same mission at the end of the day.” says Clarrissa Taylor-Jackson.
After all of the items are collected, the YMCA of Central Maryland will distribute the items to all of the YMCA’s in Baltimore City and county where they can be given out to the local communities.
