THE STORK'S NEST PROGRAM

Since 1972, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority has enjoyed a partnership with the March of Dimes in an effort to encourage women to seek prenatal care within the first trimester of pregnancy, thereby increasing the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality. The Stork’s Nest program was developed in the Southeastern Region. As a part of this partnership, Zeta Phi Beta developed the Stork’s Nest Program, which is designed to promote prenatal care participation and healthy behaviors during the pregnancy through two components - incentives and education.  The first Stork’s Nest was launched in 1971 by Epsilon Zeta chapter of Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of many educational and service projects of Better Infant Births (BIB), a highly successful program sponsored by the Fulton-Dekalb-Clayton Chapter of the March of Dimes. The program was so successful that Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. adopted Stork’s Nest in 1972 as its national project.

The Stork's Nest prenatal education sessions provide information, educational materials  and a variety of other resources and referrals that help clients take good care of themselves and their babies. Stork's Nest clients "earn" points toward incentives, such as maternity or baby care items, through a variety of positive, health-promoting activities such as attending prenatal care appointments, participating in prenatal education classes, keeping appointments for well-baby visits.

Nationwide, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. sponsors over 175 Stork's Nests, with more than 28,000 being served by the program last year. Zeta is currently celebrating 40 years of partnership with the March of Dimes.  Stork’s Nest is a jointly owned trademark of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and March of Dimes Foundation and can only be implemented by these two organizations.


Z-HOPE (Zetas Helping Other People Excel through Mind, Body and Spirit)

From the Sorority's inception, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has focused on serving the needs of the community.

With this is mind, Zeta Phi Beta’s signature program, Z-HOPE: Zetas Helping Other People Excel ™, was launched. Z-HOPE is an outreach service program that has six primary objectives, including providing culturally appropriate informational activities according to the Z-HOPE program format; fostering collaborative partnerships between community organizations with shared goals; promoting the opportunities for expansion in Stork's Nest programs; and facilitating community service and mentorship opportunities for members of the organization.

The program focuses on specific populations: women, children, seniors and international women. Since its inception in 2002, the sorority has served more than 500,000 individuals in these populations.

Why Z-HOPE?

  • When one reviews the “State of Black America”, it is evident that there still is much work needed to eliminate the disparities. In spite of America’s technological advances, Black America continues to experience more preventable diseases and ills.
  • There is no dispute that health (physical, mental, and spiritual) impacts one’s ability to work, live, love and just exist.
  • Focusing the collective Zeta service efforts ‘upstream’ on increasing awareness and prevention, will surely either decrease occurrences or lessen their impact!
  • Empowering people to become active partners in improving the quality of their life is our goal! Information and knowledge in an understandable manner is POWER.
  • Z-HOPE’s uniqueness is that Zetas will take the programs/activities to the community-to existing groups rather than rely on people to come to us!
  • Z-HOPE promises to provide culturally appropriate activities in the communities we live to empower and promote HOPE (Helping Other People Excel).

ZETA ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP (ZOL) PROGRAM

The Zeta Organizational Leadership (ZOL) Program is a future-focused, nationally structured, intense leadership training certification program and a blue print for leadership development and enhancement.

The goal of the ZOL program is to provide members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority with the essential knowledge and skills to be exceptional leaders. The target audiences for this program include, but are not limited to:

  • Members aspiring to be national elected officers
  • Members interested in being appointed regional and/or state directors
  • Local chapter officers -- undergraduate and graduate
  • Elected regional and state officers
  • Advisors to undergraduate chapters
  • Sponsors and coordinators of Zeta Amicae Auxiliaries
  • Advisors to Youth Affiliates
  • Members aspiring to be leaders

ZOL Leadership Certification is one of the ZOL program components. It is a method to prepare candidates for national elected office, and appointed regional and state directors (and those interested in serving in this capacity) to assume effective leadership roles through the practice of specific behaviors that enhance leadership performance. Completion of this certification curriculum means the member is expected to perform at a high level of leadership competency and exemplify leadership behaviors.

The ZOL Program is offered biannually.