History of Service for Sight

Altruistic work during the First World War convinced Delta Gammas that service was an important part of their Fraternity life. Service for Sight was born out of a suggestion in an alumnae workshop at Convention in 1936. The enthusiasm of one particular member, Ruth Billow, H-Akron, who was blind herself and spoke from notes typed in Braille, was the spark which brought acceptance of Service for Sight as Delta Gamma’s national project. In 1936, Delta Gammas adopted Sight Conservation and Aid to the Blind as an international project. Delta Gamma's work for the visually impaired became unique among philanthropies as members answered the needs within their own communities as well as on the international scene.

Delta Gamma Fraternity, in accordance with its motto, "Do Good," is dedicated to preventing and curing blindness. Delta Gamma is the first and only fraternity to have a nation wide philanthropy: Service for Sight. Our philanthropic efforts have raised over $1 million for various organizations throughout the United States and Canada, and have supported groundbreaking research in blindness prevention.

Delta Gamma Foundation offers all members lifetime enrichment through educational growth, personal development and opportunities for philanthropic service in the highest spirit of social responsibility.

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)

Delta Gammas at the University of Texas began volunteering and interacting with TSBVI over 20 years ago for numerous reasons. One main reason is that Delta Gamma’s national philanthropy is Service for Sight and therefore each Delta Gamma chapter has the opportunity to volunteer and interact with an organization or school that benefits and aids those who are visually impaired. Because the Texas School for the Blind is conveniently located on Austin, it allows for Delta Gamma members to serve our national philanthropy while directly serving, befriending and aiding students who are visually impaired in the Austin community. It also permitted Beta Eta to take a more active stance and hands on role with members of the blind community. The most important aspect to working with TSBVI is simply that Delta Gamma has the opportunity to make a difference within the Austin community. Each member can make an impact just by decorating Valentine’s Day cookies, taking a student out to lunch or serving them Thanksgiving dinner at the Delta Gamma house. By working with TSBVI, Delta Gamma is able to spread love, friendship, cheer and lots of fun to those who deserve it most.

If you have questions or would like to donate to our cause, please contact info@deltagamma.com