Project Alpha Info & Documentation Released

Post date: Jul 28, 2012 2:22:27 PM

Greenville, South Carolina - Here is the latest information about our Project Alpha: There will be three speech/discussion sessions, each lasting 40-45 minutes, breakfast and lunch, as well as a food nutrition class for interested parents by Chef Cynthia from Intuition.

I have attached copies of the press release, overview and parental consent form. Please feel free to communicate and distribute the flyer, as our goal will be 80-100 young males. I will contact you in one week to find out if there are any confirmations of young men who can participate. This will allow us to plan the amount of food.

Thank you very much for your support! If there are any questions, feel free to contact me at 864.325.2809.

Bro. Chuck Ford, Project Alpha Chairman

The following is the public release about the program.

Project Alpha to be held on August 12, 2012

The Greenville Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will conduct a local Project Alpha seminar on August 11, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The location this year will be at the Kroc Center in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.

Project Alpha is an educational program for adolescent males conducted collaboratively by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the March of Dimes. First developed in 1980, its goal is to assist young men with making responsible decisions. The program encourages participants to increase healthy lifestyle behaviors by learning about the consequences of pregnancy, anatomy and physiology of the human body, and the importance of fatherhood. The program has three main components: knowledge building, motivation and taking the message back to friends and the community.

Local churches, organizations, and schools are asked to refer young African-American males between the ages of 12-17 whom will benefit from the program. We also invite members to join us in facilitating the program by serving as group leaders in the presentations and group discussions being held. Volunteers, including community leaders, health care providers, lawyers and clergymen, lead the sessions.

A light breakfast and lunch will be served to all participants. For parents wishing to stay while their kids attend the seminar, a free food nutrition class, taught by Chef Cynthia, will be conducted.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is the nation’s first Greek-letter fraternity established by African-American college students established on December 4, 1906 on the campus of Cornell University. There are more than 750 chapters worldwide with over 100,000 members. Gamma Gamma Lambda Chapter is a local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in Greenville.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. They fund programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies. Established in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to put an end to polio, the March of Dimes accomplished this mission within 20 years. Following this victory, the March of Dimes turned its attention to saving babies from birth defects -- mental and physical problems that are present at birth.

Today, the March of Dimes is one of the largest voluntary health agencies in the country, with 92 chapters nationwide. There is a 60-year track record of breakthroughs that save babies, including neonatal intensive care units, surfactant therapy, fetal surgery and folic acid education. Seventy-five percent of funds spent go to research and programs.

For more information about Project Alpha in this community, please contact Chuck Ford, Project Alpha Chairman at 864-325-2809, or contact the Greenville March of Dimes Chapter at 864-235-8576.