Christmas in Baltimore, a Jewel Family Tradition
Chapter News
By: Bro. Tommy de Jongh
Every December, the Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, gathers not just to celebrate the season but to serve it. That commitment took shape again this year through the Jewel Family Christmas Program, an annual initiative that sends Brothers into Baltimore neighborhoods with gifts, essential supplies, and the kind of presence that outlasts any single holiday.
The program, established under Brother Dr. Ralph Johnson, was built on a simple conviction: that the fraternity’s responsibility to the community does not pause for the calendar. Brothers divide into seven groups, pool their resources, and direct the proceeds to families in partnership with a local community organization. This year, under the chairmanship of Brother Gregory A. Dendy, Jr., those efforts raised nearly $3,500, enough to provide roughly $500 in support to each participating family.
Brother Dendy offered a measured reflection on what Jewel Family Christmas means, which was, “One of the joys of being a member of Alpha Phi Alpha is recognizing that we remain vested stakeholders in our communities,” he said. “What were simple moments of service for us will become lasting memories for them.” He credited the Delta Lambda Fall 2025 line of Brothers and the Fall 2024 Brothers for leading the effort with care and purpose.
Later that evening, the Chapter house turned to celebration, and brothers came in holiday sweaters while children posed for photos with Brother Santa Claus. Families gathered around seasonal music and movies in a room that felt, by most accounts, like exactly what the Fraternity’s founders had in mind when they spoke of “Love for All Mankind.”