Our Mission & Vision
Friends transforming communities through service.
Enrich communities and improve the quality of life for people of African descent through friendship and service.
Chapter History
Embracing the same vision of Margaret Rosell Hawkins and Sarah Strickland Scott, the charter members of the Athens (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated sought to bring the spirit of friendship and service to the Athens area and surrounding community. Through the collective work of 26 women, The Links, Incorporated was brought to Athens, Georgia on May 1, 2004. This group of women from various backgrounds and career fields became friends and sisters through their passion for service.
Charter Members: Toni Hackett Antrum, Tracey L. Johnson, Patricia B. Wilker, Anjanette Williams, Jacqueline Guy, Elizabeth Lewis-Brooks, Brenda B. Ancrum, Mae E. Castenell, Temple Bennett, Lillian Cochran Lynch, Loretta Exum Wheatley, Kimberly Lawson Garner, Tina Gaskins, Stephanie Goodly, Shanna Jackson Bramlett, Angela Jackson Nowell, Jacqueline Levy Johnson, Cheryl K. Legette, Sandra C. Lumpkin, Wanda McIntyre McRae, Dianne Batts Morrow, Monica W. Parker, Nicole R. Studevan, Vivian Yvonne Studevan, Donna C. Taylor, Karen C. Webb
The Athens (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated community reach has grown over the past 19 years from its initial service project of donations of supplies to first graders at Fowler Drive Elementary School to signature events including Jeans, Jewels, and Jazz, Tea Party, and a virtual paint party that has raised thousands of dollars for the philanthropic efforts of the chapter. The chapter dedicates its time, service, talents, and funds to a plethora of causes from local youth, foreign exchange students, women in need, underrepresented populations, addressing healthcare disparities, and much more. Some of our many service projects include Classics Through The Ages, a program adopted from the national office that focuses on increasing knowledge and participation of African American youth in the classical arts; Mobile Mammography, a collaboration with the local hospital to provide screening mammograms to the underserved; working with the Athens Nurses Clinic, a 501(c)(3) clinic providing free healthcare to the underserved; and collaborating with the Georgia Museum of Art to host a fundraiser and honor artists with an award in honor of one of our charter members. We have also worked with the Oconee County Arts Foundation, the East Athens Development Corporation, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. In 2020, the Athens (GA) Chapter won the Southern Area’s Program Awards for our arts facet program. Additionally, the chapter has facilitated HIV/AIDS programming to promote education, prevention, treatment, and decrease the stigma regarding HIV/AIDS in the community.
The chapter established the umbrella program Bridge to Success to polish the diamonds destined to be our future leaders. The mission is to prepare young girls to meet the challenges they will face every day. Bridge to Success champions the successful completion of middle school, a seamless transition to high school, and successful entry into post-secondary programs and beyond to become strong young women of the future.
On the international scene, our OctoScribes Pen Pal Program is designed to connect local elementary, middle, and high school children with students in Exuma, Bahamas. The L.I.F.E. Program (Links, International Business, Foreign Affairs, Empowerment) exposes students in high school and college to the vast career choices available outside the United States.
The Links, Incorporated National Chapter
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other people of African ancestry.
