Community

Sister's Sippin Tea Literary Group

Being a part of a community means more than just living in it!

We are involved in various community activities that are geared towards raising literacy awareness through mentoring, counseling and outreach programs. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. The miracle is this, the more we share, the more we have. “I have an irrepressible desire to live till I can be assured that the world is a little better for my having lived in it."

Past Community Service Projects
   2009– 2010         

• Coordinated book drive for book donations to the Glory House and Freedom Ranch.

• Saundra McGee – facilitator for Deborah Brown Book Club.  Volunteerism award received at the annual Deborah Brown Awards ceremony.

• Partnering with WNBA Tulsa Shock for special event nights.  The Shock’s donated $5.00 of each ticket sale by SST members to our scholarship fund.

• Guest speakers at Women of Tomorrow April meeting hosted by Greenwood Cultural Center.

• Make a Difference Day – partnered with Higher Esteem Life Programs by volunteering in the office to assist with the summer camp start-up in May on Make a Difference Day.

• Hosted a Four Week Self Esteem Workshop at Higher Esteem Life Programs for girls in grades fourth through eighth as part of its summer program.

• Members participated in Read Across America at local elementary schools.

• Members were test monitors at local north-side schools.

• Provided coats, scarf’s, gloves to three disadvantaged students at Hamilton Middle School.

• Book donation to Freedom Ranch – half way house for women recently released from prison that are   trying to get back into normal life.

• African American Resource Committee Volunteer Work – Author Resource Committee events:

  • Hosts for Woman Up for teenage girls through young adult.  Also sponsored breakfast.

  • Hosts for Man UP for teenage boys through young adult

  • Provided breakfast for Sankofa Award guests.  Author Adjunct for Pearl Cleage, Sankofa Award Recipient.

Past Community Service Projects
2008– 2009

1. Hosted Fifth Annual October Fall Books and Brunch.  Guest authors were Tina McElroy Ansa, J. Everett Prewitt and Tananarive Due.  Proceeds benefit our Scholarship program.

2. Saundra McGee – facilitator for Deborah Brown Book Club

3. Members were test monitors at local north-side schools.

4. Hosted annual Author Expo – twenty-two authors were present from all across the US.

5. Provided coats, scarf’s, gloves to three disadvantaged students at Hamilton Middle School.

6. Book donation to Freedom Ranch – half way house for women recently released from prison that are   trying to get back into normal life.

7. African American Resource Committee Volunteer Work – Author Resource Committee events:

1. Woman Up for teenage girls through young adult

2. Man UP for teenage boys through young adult

3. Provided breakfast for Sankofa Award guests.  Author Adjunct for John Hope Franklin.

 

Past Community Service Projects
2007– 2008

1. Hosted Fourth Annual October Fall Books and Brunch.  Guest authors were LY Marlow, Colleen Nabors-Payne and  Lee Thomas.  Proceeds benefit our Scholarship program.

2. Hosted annual Author Expo – twenty-three authors were present from all across the US.

3. Saundra McGee – facilitator for Deborah Brown Book Club

4. Provided coats, scarf’s, gloves to three disadvantaged students.

5. Book donation to Freedom Ranch – half way house for women recently released from prison that are   trying to get back into normal life.

6. African American Resource Committee Volunteer Work – Author Resource Committee events:

1. Woman Up for teenage girls through young adult

2. Man UP for teenage boys through young adult

3. Provided breakfast for Sankofa Award guests

 

Past Community Service Projects
2006– 2007

1.  Commentators for Sunday news brief on live radio broadcast UPDATE, airs Sundays 5 - 6 p.m. EST  on Talk Radio 1430AM at www.wlkf.com, Hall Communications, Lakeland, Florida. Doris Bailey host.

2. Hosted Third Annual  October Fall Books and Brunch.  Guest authors were Professor Charles   Ogletree, Dr. Bertice Berry and Lorna Owens.  Proceeds benefit our Scholarship program.

3.  Interviews – North Tulsa Magazine, Oklahoma Eagle, The Doris Moore Bailey live talk radio show –   UPDATE, Upscale Magazine

4.  Ad donation to the Miss Black Oklahoma Pageant

5. Ad donation to Raw Sistaz Annual Literary Affair

6.  Book donation to Freedom Ranch – half way house for women recently released from prison that are   trying to get back into normal life.

7.  Co-sponsors of the African American Author Expo – in honor of Zora Neale Hurston – featuring seventeen   phenomenal guest authors.

8. African American Resource Committee Volunteer Work – Author Resource Committee events:
   *Dr. Julia Hare of the Black Think Tank
   * Gwen Forester
   * Dr. John Hope Franklin recognition ceremony
   * First ladies of Christian Literature – Victoria Christopher Murray, Michele Andrea Bowen and   

   Jacquelyn Thomas.

1. Gloria Mallet and Donna Hill

Past Community Service Projects
2005– 2006

1. Volunteer for the African American Resource Center – Author Committee.

2.  Sponsored the Michael Eric Dyson Breakfast for the February 11 Sankofa Awards Ceremony.

3.  Provided a $50.00 check to a family in need of immediate food provisions for one day - Request made   by Deborah Boykins.

4.  Hosted our first Juneteenth Author Expo with over twenty authors participating.

5.  Coordinated the weekend events for Rudsill author event for author S. James Guitard on July 7, dinner at Lola’s and July 8th dinner at  Los Cabos.

6.  Held annual weekend retreat at the Dallas Tulisoma Annual Book Fair on August 18.

7.  Request for interviews from Sistah Connect, The GRITS Dot.Com, TriCom Publicity and Upscale Magazine.

8.  Contributed candy to Chamberlain Park for October Fest – October 2006. Members volunteered    as chaperons.

9.  Hosted our Second Annual Books and Brunch event.  Guest authors were Terri Williams, Dr. Monica Anderson and Dr. Obrey Hendricks. B & B proceeds designated for the Ida B. Wells Foundation.

1. Hosted Terrie and Obrey at dinner Friday night at Camerelli’s Italian Restaurant.
   Toured Obrey, Terrie and Dr. Moe around Tulsa on Saturday after B & B event, dinner at Fish Daddy’s. Coordinated Obrey’s speaking engagement at Shiloh Baptist church Sunday.

 

Past Community Service Projects
2004– 2005

1. Little Sisters Sippin Tea Literary Group – June 2005 – Initiated reading group for young ladies between the ages of seven and twelve to be supported and facilitated by SST.

2.  Hurricane Katrina Relief - August 2005 - Book club members actively involved in providing relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

1.  Volunteered at Urban League to fill care packages for Katrina survivors arriving in Tulsa.
   • Volunteered @ Camp Gruber where Katrina survivors were housed.
   • Volunteered at Cross Town Church as intake workers for displaced families.
   • Designated receiver and transporter to receive books and transport them to Camp Gruber, relief    centers or homes where Hurricane Katrina victims are staying; Sponsored by Tony Rose, Amber    Communications National Book Donation Launch for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina.

3.  World Hospice Senior Care Service - October 2005 - Book club members participated in Rock- A- Thon Fund Raiser to purchase prescriptions for patients.

4.  Chamberlain Park October Fest – October 2005 - Members provided candy and volunteered as  chaperons/hostesses.

5.  Hosted our first Annual Fall Books and Brunch event. Guest authors were: J.D. Mason, Lisa Teasley and Camika Spencer.  Proceeds provided to a displaced family that was affected  by Hurricane Katrina and have now made Tulsa their home.

 

Past Community Service Projects
2003– 2004

1.  Coordinated a Christmas drive that collected used greeting cards that were sent to the St. Jude’s Ranch for children.

2.  Collected gently used clothing that was distributed to disadvantaged families in time for the 2003/2004    school year.

3.  Donated books and video tapes to the Freedom Ranch, a half-way house for incarcerated women.

4.  Initiated the Falcon Book club within the educational system that meets twice a month on Saturdays. The ages range from 12-16 and are comprised of male and female students. Lunch is provided at each session and each child is awarded the book upon completion. Student officers were nominated and each student will be awarded extra credit points from an instructor upon completion of the 6 month session.

5.  For Christmas donated funds for items to place in gift bags for the Senior Citizens at a local nursing home. SST and the Falcon Book club delivered the gifts and each student read a poem to each of the recipients. Pictures were taken and Christmas carols were sung.

6.  Coordinated a community fund raiser that raised $1000.00 that was sent in and matched by Modern Woodmen of America. The funds will be utilized to operate the Falcon Book Club for the 2004 school year.

7.  Adopted a Viet Nam Vet at Christmas time from the EDS Angel tree in conjunction with another group  and purchased winter outfits for the recipient.

8.  Coordinated book drive in conjunction with Volunteers of America that resulted in over 2000 books donated to Hamilton Middle School students to take home for summer leisurely reading. The books were bagged and distributed at the close of the 2004 school year.

9.  Contributed several boxes of personal items to provide to the women’s prison outreach ministry.

10.  Write African American book reviews to be utilized periodically for the Tulsa World Sunday Book    Scene section, a local newspaper.

 

Past Community Service Projects
2002– 2003

1. Members volunteered a half-day’s service at the following agencies:

1.  Salvation Army’s Annual Christmas Campaign: Toys for Tots
        o Day Center for the Homeless
        o Higher Esteem Life Programs

2. Coordinated a drive that raised funds to purchase Teddy Bears & books to be given as Christmas gifts  to toddlers that are estranged from their parents and living in a low – moderately-income family.

3.  Purchased gloves and hats that were distributed to disadvantaged Hamilton Middle School students.  Collectively, money was contributed to provide two coats to two students that were in need of  outerwear. The schools counseling office recommended the two students that were most in need.

4.  Participated in the March of Dimes 2003 Walk America Fundraiser Campaign.

5. Alicia Latimer, our Professional Storyteller does public service work by contributing to our culture with the oral tradition    of storytelling, encouraging children in attendance to read at least one book and tell one story to at least    one other child, therefore, making them an official storyteller. She has reached out to children in all    arenas and most recently (June) performed at a children’s day camp in Atlanta.

6. Adopted the Hamilton Middle School 6th grade class for the SST end of school year summer campaign.    Each student (210) was provided books of his or her own to take home during the summer to promote    reading as a leisurely and thought-provoking pastime. Over 10 children’s authors and several publishing    companies contributed books to make the SST campaign a huge success. Most students ended the    school year with two or more books to take home for summer reading. Each student has the option of    writing a short essay on the books received, to be turned in at the beginning of the next school term. For those students that took advantage of the essay writing, they were awarded with extra credit points to start the school year.

1.  Coordinated a media day for the book distribution for the 6th grade students, which included an awards ceremony, poetry readings and storytelling by members of SST. The students also feasted on pizza, chicken, rolls, drinks and desert that was also provided and served by SST. Fox local news covered the    event.

7.  Coordinated a book drive to help supply books and audiotapes for the OU African American Student’s Union. SST has provided over 100 books and 20 audiotapes to the group.