Gamma Pi Chapter Gives Up A Weekend to Help Nearly 500 Prince George's Residents Get Free Medical Care

Several years ago during the pandemic, Gamma Pi Chapter fanned out across the Prince George's County community delivering free food to more than 60,000 residents who were impacted by the fallout from COVID. The chapter drew the attention of local media for its stellar work in the community during a dangerous time for public health. Gamma Pi Chapter was also given a Chapter of the Year award from the Second District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.. 

Last weekend, October 2-4, Gamma Pi took part in servicing the local community in a similar way by joining forces with The Links of Prince George's County (Mount Rose chapter) and the Iota Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to support and staff a weekend-long free countywide medical services clinic conduced by Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps (RAMUSA).

Led by Gamma Pi, more than 40 Omega Brothers participated throughout the weekend, including Omega Brothers from nearby Phi Nu Nu and Theta Xi Nu chapters who volunteered to assist. Bro. Quentin Wilson, DVM, heads Gamma Pi's health initiative and headed the Omega effort. Brothers worked in the rain for most of the clinic due to showers Saturday and Sunday.

The clinic was held on the campus of Prince George's County Community College in Largo. The free clinic provided medical, dental and vision services and was setup and conducted by RAMUSA, a well-known nonprofit that travels the country putting on the clinics by providing the logistics, equipment and medical staff at the venues. This is the second time RAMUSA has put on a clinic in Prince George's County.

Dr. Quentin Wilson, DVM
Gamma Pi Chapter

"It was an eye opening experience and as the Brothers who volunteered will tell you, yes there were folks streaming into the lot at all hours of the night to have the chance to receive medical care that they otherwise aren't able to get," said Bro. Dr. Wilson.

According to Dr. Shary Jones of the Links who was the lead organizer of the free clinic and a RAM volunteer, "Gamma Pi staffed the parking lot, which is where every RAM clinic begins. Patients arrive in the dark, some after waiting overnight, and the first faces they saw were Gamma Pi's. They set the tone of order and dignity for everything that followed."

Parking lots were open overnight Friday and Saturday. Overnight patient parking was permitted to allow patients to grab a spot in line and wait (spend the night) in their cars for services once their number was called once the facility opened 6 a.m.

Dr. Shary Jones  Links, Inc.

Dr. Jones added that preliminary data showed that 428 people were served over the weekend, which is an increase from 418 during the 2023 version of the Largo clinic also spearheaded by The Links. The amount of care provided over the weekend was valued at $276,701, she said. Vision was the most requested service, followed by dental. "It says the need is real, and it is here among our own neighbors. People do not wait in a parking lot overnight for care they could easily get elsewhere. Dental and vision care, in particular, remain out of reach for many, including working people and those with insurance."

Dr. Jones indicated that RAM requires arranging follow-up care for those who need it as part of clinic planning. "No one who needed more care left without somewhere to go."

The Brothers of Gamma Pi were honored and pleased to be a part of such a large and important community service event serving Prince George's County.

TV Coverage (featuring Bros. Dr. Quentin Wilson and Robert Mathews)

NBC4
CTV News #1 (Bro. Dr. Wilson interviewed)
CTV News #2 (Bro. Mathews interviewed)

Photos By Brothers GEORGE DUBOSE AND RONALD YOUNG

Project ENRICH Concludes Back-to-School Recruitment Visits Across Prince George’s County; Opens on October 10

Gamma Pi Chapter’s Project ENRICH college preparation program is concluding its back-to-school recruitment push after visiting schools across Prince George’s County. The final stop was Wednesday night, September 23 at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, where chapter members had another opportunity to meet students and families and introduce them to the program. At this juncture, about 130 students have registered. Project ENRICH is limiting itself to 150 students this year.

Throughout September, Project ENRICH director Bro. Dr. George Montgomery along with fellow Project ENRICH colleagues as well as other chapter members participated in Back-to-School Nights at schools including Potomac, Crossland, Friendly, DuVal, Flowers, Largo, Frederick Douglass, Gwynn Park, Bowie, Oxon Hill, Fairmont Heights and Wise high schools, as well as CMIT Academy South. Principal Dr. Portia Barnes welcomed to Roosevelt. Each school visit gave families a chance to learn about Project ENRICH in person, ask questions and consider whether the program is a good fit for their students. Some students have signed up from nearby Charles, Anne Arundel and Montgomery counties. 

Back-to-School Nights bring together families, educators and community members at the start of a new academic year. For Project ENRICH, they also provide a chance to connect with students at a time when many are thinking about their goals and the opportunities ahead. A conversation at a school table can be a first step toward learning more about college preparation and the support available through the program.

The chapter’s approach focused on making it easy for families to express interest. At each school, volunteers encouraged prospective students and parents to complete the Project ENRICH Interest Form using a QR code. Families ready to join immediately could use a separate registration QR code to begin the official process. Brothers also came prepared with promotional flyers and answers to frequently asked questions so they could provide clear, consistent information.

Reaching so many schools required planning and teamwork. Volunteers signed up for individual Back-to-School Nights, staffed Project ENRICH tables and spoke with families about the program. Other Brothers helped coordinate and transport table covers, display stands, flyers and additional materials from one school to the next. Those tasks may happen behind the scenes, but they helped ensure that Project ENRICH had a welcoming and organized presence at every visit.

The recruitment push also reflected Gamma Pi Chapter’s commitment to being present in the communities it serves. By going directly to schools across the county, the brothers were able to meet families where they already gather and make a personal introduction to Project ENRICH. These conversations gave parents and students an opportunity to hear about the program and decide whether they wanted to learn more.

The visit to Roosevelt  brings this round of school recruitment to a close. It is one more opportunity to answer questions, connect with students and invite families to take that first step. The interest forms collected during the visits will help the Project ENRICH team follow up with families who want to learn more.

Gamma Pi Chapter thanks Brothers who volunteered, coordinated schedules, carried materials or helped make a school visit possible. The chapter also appreciates the schools that welcomed Project ENRICH to their Back-to-School Nights. Together, those efforts brought the program before families throughout Prince George’s County and helped introduce another group of students to the possibilities ahead.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors (Friday, October 2)

Seniors (Friday, September 25)

Register Here: www.projectenrich.org/registration

In Gamma Pi, Success is Often A Family Affair

In Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the apple usually does not fall too far from the tree. Gamma Pi is a good example. Over the years, the sons and daughters of so many Gamma Pi members have excelled in academics, athletics, music and in life. 

Recent case in point is young Sarah Hare, daughter of Gamma Pi Basileus Terance Hare and wife Sharon. Sarah, a 2016 graduate of Bishop McNamara High School and the University of the District of Columbia in 2020, is part of a group of law students being honored  in a pinning ceremony at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, this weekend, on Saturday, September 26.

The 2L Pinning Ceremony is for the members of the Class of 2028, which includes Sarah.  The 2L Pinning Ceremony at Thurgood Marshall School of Law (at Texas Southern University) is an annual tradition that celebrates students who have successfully completed their first year of law school and officially transitions them into their second year (2L).

"Sharon and I are incredibly proud to see our daughter, Sarah Hare, reach this significant milestone. Being pinned as a second-year student at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and commitment to her legal education," said Bro. Basileus Hare. "We look forward to seeing the impact she will undoubtedly make in her future career."

Gamma Pi congratulates Sarah on her success and future endeavors! Like so any other Gamma Pi offspring, she is the epitome of Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift!

 

Through Its TV Show, Gamma Pi Educates the Public About the Voting Process and Resources as the November Mid-Term Elections Loom

Gamma Pi Chapter has broadcast its own over-the-airwaves TV show for 10 years. In that time, "Community UPLIFT" has covered important issues like money for college, free food distribution during the pandemic, mentorship of young men, child support enforcement issues,  minority health awareness and caregiving for seniors among many other topics The chapter's newest episode focuses on Voter Education for Prince George's County residents as the November mid-term elections come into view.

Gamma Pi's Bro. Harold Suggs

The voter education show has been broadcasting for two weeks now. You can watch the current episode every Friday at 8 p.m. ET and Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on Comcast (channel 76) and Verizon FiOS (channel 42)  Those outside the county or who do not subscribe to either cable system can also watch the show on the free livestream at either the station's main web page or its YouTube channel. For on-demand viewing, the episode is also available on Gamma Pi's YouTube channel. "Community UPLIFT" is taped and aired in partnership with Community TV in Largo, MD. 

This show is hosted by Micheline Bowman and is headlined by guests Wendy Honesty-Bey, Prince George’s County Board of Elections; Brian Miller, Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE, which sponsors the annual National Voter Registration Day on September 15, and Gamma Pi's oldest living member., Bro Harold Suggs, now in his 90s, is featured in a short pre-taped interview segment about the importance of voting and struggles for the right to vote during is early years.

Host Micheline Bowman and 

county elections chief Wendy Honesty-Bey 

Executive Director Brian Miller of Nonprofit VOTE

    

                     

    WATCH ON-DEMAND ON YOUTUBE