Baltimore (MD) Silhouettes

The Baltimore Chapter of Kappa Silhouettes was founded to provide a vehicle through which Kappa men can obtain support in their endeavors to strengthen and maintain the common bond through the promotion of social, cultural, civic, and benevolent activities.
In the beginning, the Baltimore Chapter held its meetings in private homes, local clubs, and at the Kappa Fraternity House on Eutaw Place. Since then, meetings have been held at the Kappa Fraternity House on Liberty Heights Avenue and, more recently, at the new Kappa Youth and Community Center, back at its roots on Eutaw Place.

In conjunction with the Kappas, programs/workshops were established by the Silhouettes to assist the young men in the Guide Right Program. The Silhouettes also served at the annual Kappa Thanksgiving Dinner for the seniors at the nearby Forest Park Senior Center.
In addition to supporting the projects of the Kappa men, the Silhouettes also organized various social activities in support of the local community and national organizations. In the early days, luaus and country-western dances were held to raise funds to support these donations. A major fundraiser, started in the ’80s, was a card party luncheon and fashion show. This led to the establishment of a collegiate scholarship fund. Thousands of dollars have been raised over the past thirty years for male and female collegiate scholarships. Funds were also raised to support the National Kappa Foundation Scholarship Program.

In the ’90s, the Baltimore Chapter extended its donations to include charitable work at Flor-ence Crittenton Services, Inc., a short term residential treatment agency for teenage girls. The volunteer work at Florence Crittenton included visits four times a year, hosting holiday parties, bingos, and gifts for the babies at the facility. The chapter was recognized by the State of Maryland for its work with Crittenton Services.

In recent years, other successful methods of fundraising included a personalized Baltimore Chapter Cook Book and a Springtime Fish Fry.
Today, the Baltimore Chapter continues its collegiate scholarship program through the Annual Scholarship Jazz Brunch. During this activity, a community activist is honored for his or her work in the community. A Silent Auction was established that has proven to be very rewarding in producing added funds for the scholarship program.

The chapter also collects clothing for the needy and continues to provide support to the men of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The Baltimore Silhouettes continue to support and nurture their own with cards, flowers, and home visits.