Eastern Honor Club Aids Community Through Project Graduation
(Press Release 05-18-07)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Students of Eastern Oklahoma State College’s honor club Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) have helped their community once again by completing Project Graduation during commencement exercises on May 4 in Wilburton.

Eastern’s PTK, in conjunction with the society’s nationwide project, collected 404 books and 475 non-perishable food items in this year’s “feed a body, feed a mind” project, helping alleviate hunger and illiteracy in surrounding communities.

The food will be delivered to the KEDDO Senior Citizen’s food bank, which serves the surrounding 10 1/2 counties.

“The books will be designated to a local elementary school,” Brenda Kennedy, PTK advisor said. “Teachers will determine ‘needy’ children and they will be given books to have in their home.”

This year’s books will be sorted by age and will be delivered to Panola and Red Oak schools. Over the years, Eastern’s Project Graduation has helped give books to children of Wilburton, Clayton, Nashoba, Tuskahoma and Albion schools.

“Our goal is to keep the project going and provide books for needy children in a different school each year,” Kennedy said. “Thanks to everyone who helped make this year another success, it wouldn’t have been possible without the encouragement by the faculty and staff.”

For further information please contact Eastern PTK Advisor Brenda Kennedy at 918-465-1745, or email at bkennedy@eosc.edu.

Caption info:

Some of Phi Theta Kappas’s new officers for 2007-08 school term helped to organize and distribute the collection of children’s books and non-perishable food items for this year’s Project Graduation. Pictured front row, from left, Tyler Price, Claremore; Jacquelyn Meyer, Beggs and Jana Chancellor, Talihina. Back row, Kalah Smith, Eufaula; Eric Shaw, Antlers; Randy Tipton, Stuart and Amanda Atkinson, Wilburton. The local PTK chapter collected 404 children’s books and 475 non-perishable food items. Books were given to children who show a need and do not have books in their homes for summer reading. Food items are being donated to Wilburton Senior Citizens food banks.