Mu Tau Mu of Alpha Chi Omega

In honor of Alpha Chi Omega's Founders' Day, October 15th, we present an extra and important online philanthropy project!

Help Alpha Chi Omega Foundation win $50,000 in America's Giving Challenge! Learn more about the challenge on the Alpha Chi Omega website: http://www.alphachiomega.org/sindex.aspx?id=599

The BEST part is the charity with the highest daily participation wins $1000! This could easily be Alpha Chi Omega Foundation!! Note the day runs from 3pm EDT to 3pm EDT. Wouldn't this prize make Founders' Day that much more special??

Here are the steps to participate

1. be a member of the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation Cause on Facebook - join at

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/73662/14717927?m=63922cfd

2. make a donation in honor of Founders' Day! Your donation can be large or small - the important thing is to show you care! donate at 

https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=73662

3. share this project with your friends!

On Twitter, post a message like this 

Help Alpha Chi Omega Foundation win $50k in America's Giving Challenge!http://ow.ly/twSO #AXO

OR

Happy Founders' Day Alpha Chi Omega! Make today special with a donation http://ow.ly/twSO #AXO

OR

Happy Founders' Day Alpha Chi Omega! #AXO Foundation helps us live our values! Donate today: http://ow.ly/twSO

On facebook

Let Causes set your status after you donate (it will prompt you)

OR

use one of the sample tweets as your status!

We'd also appreciate it if you share this post with your sisters, friends and family.

Thank you and Happy Founders' Day!!

This week we hope you'll take the time to learn more about teen dating violence and how to prevent it. Learn more here and then please help us spread the word!

On Twitter, tweet a message like this:

Work to prevent teen dating violence http://ow.ly/u4k6 #AXO #DVA #charitytuesday

OR 

Check out teen dating violence post on @collegelfestyl by #AXO @Patrice0x0x http://ow.ly/u4my #AXO #DVA #charitytuesday

Also follow @loveisrespect and @MADEcoalition

On facebook, become a fan of Love is Respect http://www.facebook.com/pages/loveisrespect-National-Teen-Dating-Abuse-Helpline/59117165969?v=wall&viewas=1417533568

OR

use one of the tweets above as your status!

OR 

post a teen dating abuse public service announcement video to your profile, like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaqZSdb60Rw

And on email...

Share this post with a friend, family member or Alpha Chi Omega sister. Thank you!!

Did you know:

About one in five high school girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.⁵

1 in 3 teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked, or otherwise physically hurt by his or her partner.⁹

[If you think you or a friend might be in danger, please call the National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or go to http://loveisrespect.com/ to chat online with a peer advocate.]

Teen Date Abuse is a very serious issue. One place to learn more: Alpha Chi Omega collegian, Patrice Basso (Delta Chi, William Woods) contributed a great blog post on it this week on College Lifestyles.

This video gives good insight into the problem of teen dating violence and the solutions:

Many people and groups are working to end and prevent teen dating violence, including Martina McBride and Lauren Conrad. 

Parents are encouraged to visit MADE - Mothers and Dads for Education to Stop Dating Violence, My Time to Shine and Choose Respect for great information on talking to kids, tweens and teens about dating and healthy relationships.

See the Presidential Proclamation at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Domestic-Violence-Awareness-Month/

"During this month, we rededicate ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence. By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation's victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone."

See the Department of Justice Press Release at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/October/09-ag-1066.html 

"On September 14, 2009, the Department of Justice marked the fifteenth anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the creation of its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The department has kicked-off a year-long effort to raise public awareness, build stronger coalitions among federal, state, local and tribal communities, and redouble efforts to end domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking for men, women and children across the country."

In our communities and on our college campuses, Alpha Chi Omegas are making a difference for survivors of domestic violence. See the My Alpha Chi message boards for daily updates of Alpha Chi chapters in the news for their domestic violence awareness projects this month at http://www.alphachiomega.org/myaxo_index3.aspx?pgnm=messageboards&g=posts&t=1185

On that post you'll also see the origin of the purple ribbon as a symbol for the domestic violence awareness movement. Remember this month to wear a purple ribbon! You can wear one on your social media profiles too! 

To add a purple DVA ribbon to your Twitter profile picture, go to http://twibbon.com/join/Domestic-Violence-Awareness-2

To add a purple DVA ribbon to your facebook profile picture, visit http://twibbon.com/join/Domestic-Violence-Awareness-2/facebook

I hope you'll also take a minute to read and comment on an interview I did with Patrice Basso (Delta Chi, William Woods) for a blog post on College Lifestyles: Domestic Violence: No Joking Matter. Patrice asked really insightful questions! I enjoyed talking with her. I feel like I've learned so much in the process of helping create the weekly online philanthropy project, and hope you'll learn something new as well! http://collegelifestyles.org/?p=3911

Loyally,

@amy_z

Are you ready for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October? Each week in September, look for a new easy way to prepare! Thank you @CauseShoppe for bringing today's project to our attention!

Our fifth suggestion is to go shopping! From October 1st to 15th, Marshalls will donate a portion of the proceeds from every shoe purchase to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, up to $150,000. Read all about it  http://ow.ly/rwDA  and then make your plans! 

We'd love it if you'd help us spread the word to your friends, family and Alpha Chi Omega sisters! Here's how:

On Twitter, tweet a message like this:

Plan ahead for Domestic Violence Awareness Month! http://ow.ly/rwDA #AXO #charitytuesday

OR

Buying shoes at @Marshalls Oct 1-15 benefits Nat'l Domestic Violence Hotline. http://ow.ly/rwDA #AXO #charitytuesday

OR 

End Domestic Violence: Shop Til It Stops at @Marshalls Oct 1-15 http://ow.ly/rwDA #AXO #charitytuesday

AND

Follow @NDVH and @Marshalls

On facebook,

post a link to  http://ow.ly/rwDA  or use one of the tweets above as your status!

AND

Be a fan of the National Domestic Violence Hotline  http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Domestic-Violence-Hotline/106201870487

Check out the facebook event (emceed by Tim Gunn) at the Santa Monica Marshalls to kick off the Shop Til It Stops campaign: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156496465688

On email, send a link to this post http://ow.ly/rwJL  to your friends, family members and Alpha Chi Omega sisters.

Thank you for being a part of this week's virtual philanthropy project!