Nancy Holloway, state president of Michigan Alpha Delta Kappa, discusses the organization’s decision to choose the Jamie Daniels Foundation as the recipient of its donations.  

By Stacey Winconek

Every two years, Alpha Delta Kappa, an international organization of women educators committed to building educational excellence, altruism, and world understanding through fellowship, elects a new state president. One of the President’s responsibilities is choosing the organization’s charity of choice for the entire state. And now, thanks to State President and 31-year Alpha Delta Kappa member Nancy Holloway, the Jamie Daniels Foundation is fortunate to be the organization’s charity of choice. 

A dedicated sports fan, Holloway became familiar with the Jamie Daniels Foundation when her son purchased tickets for her and her husband to attend the Hot Stove fundraising event. It was there she became deeply moved by the organization’s mission – one that resonated personally, as three of her four children have struggled with substance use disorders. Even though all of her children are now in recovery – one sober for nearly two decades, one for fourteen years, and one more recently embarking on the recovery journey, after that first event, Holloway was invested. She went on to attend the Roast & Toast fundraiser and has remained committed to breaking the stigma surrounding substance use disorder.

“I just really gained such an appreciation for what the organization is trying to do,” she says. “It was fun, but I also saw the passion and compassion behind it.” 

When the time came to select a statewide philanthropic partner, Holloway didn’t hesitate: the Jamie Daniels Foundation was the only organization on her list. Still, she wasn’t sure how her fellow members would receive it. 

“I was a little bit hesitant because I didn’t know how that was going to go over,” Holloway says. “I just didn’t know if people would think that was a good organization to support. When I finished my speech and started walking out among the other members, I cannot tell you how many women came up to me with tears in their eyes and said, ‘Thank you so much for choosing this organization.’ Everybody was talking about it, and that’s what I’m most grateful for. Our organization has been able to provide the means for people to talk about this and not feel like they’re alone or that they have to cover up or not tell anybody about what’s going on.”

By choosing the Jamie Daniels Foundation as its charity, Michigan Alpha Delta Kappa is doing more than just raising funds — it’s raising awareness, which is integral. 

Holloway intends to stay involved with the state A△K board for the rest of her life because she finds great fulfillment working alongside incredible women, all of whom are educators with hearts of gold, deeply committed to fostering educational excellence, world understanding and altruism. She diligently collects the minutes from the 28 chapters’ monthly meetings across the state of Michigan, and documents the wide range of altruistic projects they undertake. Their efforts are inspiring: supporting hospitals, assembling care packages for the homeless, making blankets and quilts, and organizing book drives. In Kalamazoo, for example, members collect books so that every newborn baby leaves the hospital with a gift bag containing a board book. Many members also contribute by supporting local schools and offering scholarships. Their commitment to making a difference is extraordinary.

Holloway hopes to make a difference in the lives of those battling substance use disorder, along with those in recovery. 

“There are so many people out there that you would never suspect who need help from the Jamie Daniels Foundation. I think the collegiate recovery program is probably one of the best programs that has ever been created,” Holloway says. “It’s not that you’re just helping people who are addicted and need help — Adolescent Addiction Recovery Center hospital in Troy — where people are having the problems and need help getting out of the addictive process, but also once they’re in the recovery. A lot of times, people think you’re in recovery now. You don’t need help anymore. You’re all done. From my interactions with people who have been addicted, they say that it is a recovery process, and they never stop needing support, so I will never stop supporting the Jamie Daniels Foundation. I’m committed to that for the rest of my life — not just for these two years.”