UA Students Spread Holiday Happiness

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Students in Kappa Delta Pi, an honorary society for education majors, are helping make the holidays happier for children and adults in the Project for Victims of Family Violence.

KDP members decided to focus on service and outreach, particularly to children, rather than social activities. As a result, the office of advisor Kathy Malstrom has become a virtual warehouse for hundreds of toys, games, backpacks, and clothing, all new and selected with the project’s children in mind.

"We know that some people enter the shelter with only the clothes on their back," Malstrom said. "Our goal is to make sure that during the holidays each child and adult has something of their own to take with them when they leave."

In addition to allocating $100 of the organization’s dues to purchase items, KDP members solicited donations from the university community. Malstrom reported that the response has been enthusiastic, including an armload of Lady Razorback t-shirts donated by Women’s Athletics. In addition, Ozark’s Electric Cooperative donated toys.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international honorary society founded in 1921 and dedicated to scholarship and excellence in education. The Alpha Beta chapter in the UA College of Education and Health Professions has been chartered since 1924 and is one of the society’s oldest chapters.