After high school, Lorita Musselman and a group of her friends joined the sorority Beta Sigma Phi International, Eta Master Chapter of Bethlehem. Musselman and a few friends remain active today—more than 60 years later. Beta Sigma Phi, now in its 86th year, is a sorority that supports cultural, social and service programs. As for service, Musselman, the service chair for about 15 years now, says, “We collect about anything imaginable.”
They collect books for Cops ‘n' Kids, supplies for elementary schools, non-perishable items for local food banks and winter clothing for those in need. Musselman has also prepared blizzard bags and made floral Thanksgiving bouquets for Meals on Wheels. Additionally, the Eta Master Chapter sends over 300 Christmas cards to veterans at Victory House of the Lehigh Valley.
One of the larger projects that the Eta Master Chapter has accomplished is coordinating three vintage fashion shows. They earned over $12,000 in order to install Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in the Bethlehem Area School District. AEDs are needed to restart the heart after someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest from a stroke or heart attack. The AEDs are in memory of a Bethlehem Area School District teacher who passed away. Musselman recalls a proud moment when her chapter and the school nurses were able to present their results from the fashion shows to the school board.
Musselman also enjoys being with her chapter friends and meeting new people at Mid-Eastern Conventions. “You make friends, a lot are for a lifetime, and also friends from other states and cities,” Musselman says. In addition to Beta Sigma Phi, Musselman has volunteered over 2,500 hours with Gracedale Nursing Home in Northampton County and volunteers at Christ Lutheran Church in Hellertown.
