INDIANAPOLIS — Each week on Community Link, Carolene Mays takes a look at an organization or business that is making a positive impact on the community.

This week, Mays was joined by Nichole Wilson, Central Regional Director for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and Ilisha Dowell, president of the Alpha Mu Omega chapter.

For more than a century, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. has brought women together through sisterhood and a commitment to service. Locally, that legacy continues through the Central Region and the Alpha Mu Omega Chapter in Indianapolis.

Wilson said the organization is the oldest Greek-letter organization founded by and for college-trained Black women. Founded in 1908, the sorority has more than 390,000 members across 45 states and 1,100 chapters on college campuses and in communities.

The international service organization supports health, economic development, the arts, and new foster care initiatives. Wilson oversees the Central Region, which spans eight states, more than 107 chapters and nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate members dedicated to service. On the International Board of Directors, she advocates for those chapters and ensures they uphold the sorority’s standards.

Dowell, a former president of the Alpha Mu Omega chapter, said the local group has a rich history of service and sisterhood in Indianapolis. The chapter executes several programs aligned with international targets, including an October environmental and sustainability initiative featuring a community farmers market where members exchanged garden crops.

The chapter also hosts its annual Debutante Cotillion Scholarship Program through its foundation, the Ivy Endowment. The nine-month cohort welcomes 38 high school juniors and seniors from Indianapolis, teaching them mentorship, fiscal responsibility and college readiness.

The program culminates in a formal ball scheduled for 4 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

Looking ahead, Wilson said her vision is for members and chapters to show up intentionally and meaningfully in the community, serving as a voice for the voiceless. Dowell added that from a chapter perspective, she wants members to feel heard, respected and seen, ensuring the administration actively elevates the group through direct community impact.