Chapter History

Seventeen dynamic Delta women chartered the Joliet Area/South Suburban Alumnae Chapter (JASSAC). These pioneers worked together in the south suburban school districts of Cook and Will counties in Illinois as well as in other professions. With a very distinct vision in mind, a new chapter was born, the Joliet Area Alumnae Chapter, on January 12, 1974.

Charter Members

Leona Barlow

Mattie Barnes

Ernestine Berry-Beck

Jean Blackmon

Clarice Boswell

Dawn Brooks-Ellis

Regina Carter

Ruby Childs-Stewart

Fern Dunn*

Mary Greenwood

Helen Hatchett

Annie Hollins*

Curtistine Holt-Miller*

Jean Ingram

Evie Williams-Whitted

Yvonne Wright-Wells

Delores Yeary*

Omega Omega Chapter*

Under the leadership of Jean Ingram in 1975, the chapter worked hard in their beginning years. They took on various programs and projects such as voter registration, a Thanksgiving basket giveaway, and fundraisers for the YMCA building fund. During this time, the sorors also started working toward establishing an undergraduate chapter at Lewis University in Joliet, IL.

As leadership changed, the chapter continued their fundraising efforts, enabling them to make significant contributions to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the YMCA Youth and Government Organization, and the United Negro College Fund. They also made it a point to work with unwed mothers and offer health options during their Health Fairs.

In 2003, the name Joliet Area Alumnae was officially changed to the Joliet Area/ South Suburban Alumnae Chapter in order to encompass the entire service area. Also at this time, the chapter added a non-profit arm, Jassac Charitable Foundation, Inc., which functions under its own Board of Directors. In 1975, the chapter also sponsored their first Ebony Fashion Fair Show under the leadership of Gwendolyn Bowen. This show was a major fundraising effort for chapter scholarships. Through this effort, the chapter has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships to deserving high school seniors in South Suburban Cook County and the Joliet area. The chapter also sponsored the Umoja Step Show.

As the sisterhood continues to grow, the continued focus on the Sorority’s Five Point Thrust has also grown. The chapter provides support to two Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) sites, St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Park Forest, IL, and New Faith Baptist Church in Matteson, IL. There also was a partnership with Habitat for Humanity where the chapter helped in the construction of several houses in the South suburbs. Mentoring programs have also been implemented and continue which serves at-risk girls through the Delta Academy and Delta GEMS programs and boys through E.M.B.O.D.I. (Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence)

The chapter fulfills children’s Christmas wishes through the Breakfast with Santa program. This key program distributes over 500 toys to local children, while they enjoy “Breakfast with Santa”. In 2005, the chapter held its first Delta Expo at Lincoln Mall in Matteson, IL. The Expo brought together all of the Five Point Thrust in one event. This has been duplicated several times through a Women’s Symposium and Kindness In Service through Sisterhood (K.I.S.S.) with 100 Acts of Kindness in one day in our service area.

Each year, the chapter has worked to create a program that expounds on the Sorority’s Five Point Programmatic Thrust.

Over the past twelve years, JASSAC has created and developed a myriad of other innovative programs. In 2009, the JASSAC Step Team was established, a competition team, marking the first time in chapter history that the chapter had an official step team committee. After delivering a memorable performance at the 2008 JASSAC Umoja Step Show, the chapter was asked to compete in the Homecoming Step Show at the University of Illinois-Urbana. After claiming the first place title, sorors knew that they had what it took to be a competitive team. Since 2008, the Step Team has gone to win several first-place titles, in which all proceeds have gone to benefit the chapter’s Scholarship program. However, the most monumental performance came at the 2010 49th National Convention Step Show in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chosen as 1 of only 5 teams to represent Delta in the National Convention Step Show, sorors delivered an impressive performance entitled Crimson Karate. The JASSAC Step Team has gone on to compete in other step shows and in the state of IL and has often been categorized as the “Best Step Team – Sorority” in the Midwest.

In 2010, the chapter successfully implemented a new fundraising effort, the Crimson and Crème Pageant former known as Little Miss DST Pageant. In ten years, the chapter has had over 250 participants. This pageant, unlike traditional pageants where its participants compete in the areas of talent and physical appearance, has a different mission and purpose. The pageant fosters positive interaction between young girls ages 5-13 by educating them in topics such as CPR, nutrition, and exercise. Participants are able to develop their self-esteem while developing new friendships.