As a Teach for America Alum and AmeriCorps affiliated award recipient, Christopher Watson was eager to engage his brotherhood on the issue of creating programs that would promote healthy futures. As the Healthy Communities Project Leader, Christopher and the Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha were about to re-establish a regular rate & rhythm within the Nashville community.

Ironically, Chi was in danger of flatlining due to several years of inactivity. However, a new breed of brothers breathed new life into Chi Chapter. Today, Chi’s most distinguishing characteristic of simply, our way of defining service. We extend our brand of service into educational, cultural, political, and social realms, while embracing our colleagues as partners, not competitors. We found that there was a need to create a common focus within all our branches of services, and we identified that the best way to approach that need was through focusing on creating a healthier community.

Chi has diligently to create a standard of quality programming and activities at Meharry and in Nashville. The Success Series, one of our hallmark programs, was designed to equip students with skills necessary to become well-rounded healthcare professionals, so that they can go out and make a positive impact on the community. During Christmas, Chi Chapter promoted the spirit of Christmas among the underserved by providing gifts to our two adopted Nashville families that were victimes of domestic abuse.

A unique dimension to Chi Chapter is our ability to embrace events sponsored by other organizations, and all three schools within the Meharry Community and to creatively incorporate our healthy communities theme within those projects. Brothers have faithfully participated in Community Day, the MSPH Week 2013, and American Medical Student Association Lobby Day at the State Capitol as well as the National Capitol. Naturally, scholarship is a mainstay of our service. The central theme of Chi’s year-in-service has been to identify programs voids and fill them with innovate activities aimed at fostering and creating a healthier community. Our brotherhood has established a track record of accountability, dependability, and innovative programming among our student body. Each day we accept the call to be servant leaders who employ teamwork to collectively affect change within the walls of our community. And just as a servant’s work is never done, neither is the work of Chi Chapter.