For Tove Bichel Thomas, Omicron-Illinois Wesleyan, sisterhood has always been about showing up for one another — and that commitment continues long after our collegiate years.

After completing her service as National Vice President-Alumnae in 2025, Tove joined the Kappa Delta Foundation Board and chairs the foundation’s Alumnae Crisis Grant Selection Committee, a role that has given her a unique perspective on what it means to support a sister through an unexpected season of hardship.

The Alumnae Crisis Fund provides immediate financial assistance to Kappa Delta alumnae who are facing significant hardship after exhausting other resources. The circumstances are different for every sister. A medical emergency. An unexpected personal crisis. A natural disaster. “What they have in common is that, for a moment, a sister is facing more than she can manage on her own,” says Tove.

Since 2023, more than $50,000 in assistance has been granted to KD sisters when they need it most. For Tove, the significance of that support goes beyond the financial assistance itself.

“Each grant is a reminder: You are not alone. Your sisters are here,” she says.

After more than five decades of volunteering for Kappa Delta, Tove has seen sisterhood in many forms and in many places. But there is something special about being able to support a sister in such a meaningful way.

A crisis can arrive unexpectedly, changing what once felt steady and certain, but Alumnae Crisis Grants helps ensure that when a Kappa Delta sister finds herself in that moment, she has a community ready to stand beside her.

For those who would like to help make that promise possible for another sister, a gift to the Alumnae Crisis Fund can help ensure that support is there when it is needed most. Visit kappadelta.org/alumnae-crisis.