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Deltas Salute Motherhood, Scholarship and Fashion
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
Every year the Toledo
Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc hosts its
major fundraiser with a salute to motherhood, scholarship
and fashion. The event, Breakfast for M’Lady, was held this
year on May 2 at The Pinnacle in Maumee.
This year was the 37th
annual scholarship program and four young ladies, high
school seniors, were awarded scholarships that will go to
the colleges they enter in the fall.
The fashion show,
presented by the Vogue-Esquire Models of Chicago, Illinois,
featured a six-part program that ran the gamut of styles
from casual to formal.
The highlight of the
morning, however, as is usually the case, was the
presentation of the 2015 Mother of the Year and, as usual,
the recipient had no idea beforehand of the honor that was
to come. This year that honor was bestowed on Ora Bell.
Bell was seated at a table
with her family, including husband Norman and son Mike,
former mayor of Toledo. Both, as did other members of the
family who knew what was coming, studiously avoided looking
at Ora as the presenter, club member Bessie Mack, read the
honoree’s bio to the audience. Norman, in fact, kept his
back to his wife so that his face would not reveal in
advance what was to come.
Ora Bell is the mother of
four sons (one deceased) and four grandchildren.
Bell, who has a bachelor’s
degree in sociology and a master’s in education, worked
primarily in human resources until her retirement in 1988.
She has worked for the Economic Opportunity Planning
Association (EOPA), the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, SPC
Electronics, Control Data Corporation and Toledo Crittenton
Services.
Since 1988, Bell has
increased her volunteer work with organizations such as the
Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, Unison Behavioral, the
University of Toledo Minority Affiliate, United Way’s Impact
Committee and she has been active in working with her church
– True Vine Missionary Baptist. Her goal, as she once
stated, is to “give back some of what has been bestowed upon
me and my family.”
“I will be happy to help
anyone along the way,” said Bell as she accepted the honor
and the congratulations of the audience.
The club then presented
scholarships to the four high school seniors: Khadirah Hobbs
of Toledo Early College High School; Shalise Simmons of the
Toledo School for the Arts; Precious Tate of Central
Catholic and Alexis Walton of Southview.
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