Time, Talent, Treasure

Every Pi Phi sister can make an impact, no matter when her story starts. Washington Alpha KIM KIMMY TOMCZAK began her Pi Phi story after graduating college when she first heard about Pi Beta Phi from her friend, South Carolina Alpha RUTH HENDERSON MCINTYRE. Not having been affiliated with a sorority in college, Kim had no knowledge about fraternity and sorority life. Her first glimpse was when Ruth gathered several Pi Phis together after one of their sisters lost everything in a fire. “Within a half an hour, Pi Phis had gone to this woman’s home with clothing, dishes and gift certificates to help with housing, childcare or whatever else the family needed,” Kim says. It was this act of Sincere Friendship that sparked Kim’s interest in Pi Beta Phi.

Ruth later invited Kim to join Pi Phi as an alumna initiate of the Washington Alpha Chapter at the University of Washington. Kim quickly made up for lost time by serving in many roles within the Seattle, Washington, and Greater Princeton Area, New Jersey, Alumnae Clubs, where she planned events, organized fundraisers and regularly represented the clubs at convention.

At the 2007 Convention, Kim heard past Grand President EMILY RUSSELL TARR, Texas Beta, discuss the power we have to change the world. Kim remembers this as the moment that inspired her involvement with Pi Beta Phi Foundation. “Pi Phi can do so much good,” Kim says. “Through our Foundation, we can provide scholarships, support literacy and help sisters through Emma Harper Turner Fund grants.” The same spirit of giving that initially sparked Kim’s interest in Pi Phi led her to support and serve our Foundation as a volunteer and donor.

From left to right: Washington Alpha KIM KIMMY TOMCZAK and past Grand President EMILY RUSSELL TARR, Texas Beta, at the 2007 Convention.

A passionate advocate for literacy in her personal life, Pi Phi’s Read > Lead > Achieve® initiatives became an important area of support for Kim. “If you can read and you have a love of reading, you can literally change the world,” she says. Kim believes putting books into the hands of children is one of the most immediate ways to make an impact. It was this passion for literacy which eventually led Kim to write her first children’s book, Locked Out in the Snow.

Inspired by her mother’s diaries, Kim quickly wrote the story based on an event from her childhood. However, finding an illustrator to bring her story to life proved to be a challenge. Kim Alpha HANNAH TRAVER CONNAUGHTON. Brought together by their shared sisterhood, the two connected through their love for the Fraternity and passion for literacy.

“If you can read and you have a love of reading, you can literally change the world.”

Although Kim and Hannah didn’t originally create the book to support literacy, they both realized they had an opportunity to make an impact. Pi Phi’s philanthropic efforts inspired them to use their book as a way to directly give back to our sisterhood and communities across North America. With every book sold to members, they decided to donate one dollar to The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation.

Kim and Hannah have already collaborated on two books and are currently working on their third. Their friendship speaks to the heart of our sisterhood — two women from different chapters coming together because of their shared Pi Phi values. Kim says, “We never would have known each other if it weren’t for this book.”

Kim and Hannah grew close throughout the illustration process and even brought each other closer to Pi Phi. Kim’s passion for our sisterhood encouraged Hannah to become more involved met with several artists before she finally spoke with Montana in her local alumnae club and Pi Beta Phi Foundation. Their friendship has allowed both women to channel their passion for literacy and build upon the connections they’ve made within the Fraternity to make an impact. As Kim’s involvement with Pi Phi has grown, she has continued to meet sisters with the same desire to change the world.

Throughout Kim’s time in Pi Phi, she has been intentional in her support of our Fraternity and Foundation. She notes, “It’s about giving your time, talent and treasure.” Through her volunteer roles, financial support and – more recently – her book, Kim has continued to show her dedication to our sisterhood. “I believe we can truly make a difference when we invest in Pi Beta Phi. We just have to look at the future and ask ourselves what we are going to do to make it better,” she says. Kim recognizes our Foundation’s work as critical to carrying out the mission of our Fraternity and considers her support of Pi Beta Phi Foundation an investment in the future.

The Power of Pi Phi

Pi Beta Phi members hold the power to change the lives of those around them, and the lives of many whom they’ll never meet. That’s the power of investing in literacy and leadership development. With a gift to our Foundation, you provide Pi Phi the resources we need today to ensure we meet the needs of tomorrow. Whether we’re empowering the next generation of leaders, funding literacy grants or improving access to education through scholarships, your annual gifts to the Friendship Fund provide the operational support that makes all Pi Phi programs possible. Gifts to our Foundation in support of literacy play a critical role in the success of Pi Phi’s Read > Lead > Achieve initiatives, inspiring a lifelong love of reading like Kim's. The power of a sisterhood filled with women with that same drive is what Pi Beta Phi and our Foundation cultivates in our members through your support.