My community work in the Champaign-Urbana area began over twenty
years ago. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Epsilon
Epsilon Omega Chapter, I wrote a proposal for the Reading is Fundamental
Project. The matching funds, received through this national program,
allow the sorority to purchase books to distribute to children
in the community.
I have chaired the Reading is Fundamental Project Committee for
twenty-one years. During the summer months, we have provided low-income
children with thousands of books since 1981. Many of the children
at the Boys and Girls Club and Douglass Center Day Camp refer
to me as "The Book Lady." For a number of years, my
committee distributed books at four sites: Girls Club, Don Moyers
Boys and Girls Club, Douglass Branch Library, and Douglass Center.
Presently, our RIF distributions continue at the Douglass Center
Day Camp and the Don Moyers Boys and Girls Club serving approximately
300 children each summer. Special distributions, such as the one
held in conjunction with National African American Read In Day,
occur also.
I have served as president of Gamma Upsilon Psi Society, an organization
comprised of community women, since 1990. Many young women have
received scholarships to help pay college expenses as a result
of participating in the Cotillion. The Debutantes must attend
weekly rehearsals and also attend workshops involving etiquette.
This year a profit of approximately $36,000 will be awarded to
the Debutantes in the form of monetary scholarships.
At St. Luke C.M.E. Church, I became the Recording Steward in
1977. I held that position for 23 years serving three pastors
as the financial advisor and the keeper of financial records.
I am vice chairperson of the Steward Board and I have been active
in the Vacation Bible School. In 1999, I established a scholarship
fund to provide children in grades three through eight money to
buy school supplies. Since many of our children do not like to
write, students are required to write an essay on a topic. Presently,
I also serve as the church's Assistant Administrator.
As a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, I have served on the scholarship
committee for several years. Memberships in other professional
honor societies include Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi. I
served on the Champaign Human Relations Commission from 1985-1987
and I was a member of the Board of Directors at the University
of Illinois YWCA from 1980-1986.
Patricia McKinney Lewis
)
denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.