About Our Chapter

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world.

Founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University, the Sorority is currently a sisterhood of more than 300,000 predominantly Black college-educated women.

This includes 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters located in the United States, Canada, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, West Africa, Southern African, United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea.

The major programs of the sorority are based upon the organization’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust:

  • Economic Development

  • Physical and Mental Health

  • Educational Development

  • Political Awareness and Involvement

  • International Awareness and Involvement

For more information, visit our national website at www.deltasigmatheta.org.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Westchester Alumnae Chapter is committed to enriching the lives of those in the Westchester community. As part of its mission, the Sorority has instituted a number of programs serving the needs of youth, adults, and seniors. 

Scholarship

Established in 1976, the Toast to Spring Scholarship Brunch is held annually and has become one of the chapter’s signature events. Funds raised from generous contributions assist us in awarding scholarships to exceptional college-bound high school seniors who attend or reside in Westchester County.

Arts and Letters

Westchester Alumnae Chapter is a proud supporter of the arts and collaborates with area museums, bookstores, libraries and art institutions to promote and exhibit the works of new authors, artists, and performers. WAC also hosts opening day film screenings and theater parties for our members and guests to encourage patronage of movies and plays with African American representation.  For the past five years, WAC has partnered with the Harlem Fine Arts Show and the White Plains Youth Bureau to raise the profile of Westchester County’s arts programs.

Educational Development

WAC administers two mentoring programs for young girls: Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy and Delta GEMS as well as one mentoring program for boys: EMBODI.  The programs reach girls and boys from ages eight to eighteen and meet on a monthly basis. Activities are age-appropriate and are designed to empower these youth to become future community leaders. They include self-esteem dialogues, workshops, visits to local museums, Kwanzaa celebrations, career and financial planning conferences, and college preparatory workshops. Each group also participates in at least two public service activities annually, such as feeding the homeless, visiting senior centers and toy drives.

International Awareness and Involvement

On International Women's Day (March 8, 2022), DSTWAC co-sponsored free breast cancer screenings in Nigeria with DST-West Africa Alumnae Chapter. Specifically, DSTWAC covered the cost of medical treatments for over 400+ women. The DSTWAC International Awareness Chair flew to Nigeria to assist with this global initiative impacting women of color.

WAC has also partnered with the ZanaAfrica Foundation whose mission is to equip adolescent girls with the tools they need to stay in school and thrive by providing feminine products and reproductive health education (Nia Project) to more than 10,000 girls a year in Kenya. In 2017, WAC in collaboration with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Alpha Alpha Omega Zeta Chapter, raised and donated $1,000 to the Nia Project.

Physical and Mental Health

As part of the Sorority’s Journey to Wellness: Committing our Bodies to Physical and Mental Health, WAC has implemented several health awareness and prevention programs. These programs are aligned with the Sorority’s three-pronged approach to Journey to Wellness which includes: signature programs, Catching, Coping, Conquering; My Cry in the Dark; and Healthy Lifestyles.

Political Awareness and Involvement

WAC regularly registers voters throughout the county at local churches, supermarkets and shopping areas. Additionally, sample voting machines are utilized to acquaint first-time voters with the balloting process. Our political involvement also includes an emphasis to “Get Out the Vote” during major elections, mass incarceration, advocacy against police brutality, as well as census education.