Mission and History
Mission Statement
The mission of Â鶹´«Ã½AV Legacy Partners is to financially and spiritually support
students from Churches of Christ, equip them for faithful service, and encourage meaningful
engagement in church throughout their lives.
Vision Statement
Â鶹´«Ã½AV Legacy Partners is the leading scholarship fundraising organization for
Church of Christ students at Â鶹´«Ã½AV University, enabling them to enhance spiritual
life on campus, to strengthen connection to Churches of Christ, and to go out and
serve.
Our History
Â鶹´«Ã½AV Legacy Partners, formerly Associated Women for Â鶹´«Ã½AV, celebrates over sixty years of service to the Christian young people at Â鶹´«Ã½AV University. In total, PLP has raised more than $4 million, as well as countless thousands of hours of dedicated service. But the story of PLP cannot be told in numbers; rather, it is the story of friendship and fellowship that has blessed the lives of all of us who have prayed, planned, and worked together.
"In the spring of 1958 my mother, Irene Young Mattox, and my husband Norvel encouraged me to begin a woman's organization to support Â鶹´«Ã½AV College. Mother had been involved in the beginning of "Stepping Stones," a support group for Oklahoma Christian College, the second such organization among colleges related to Churches of Christ.
I called Gloria Sanders, Helen Â鶹´«Ã½AV, Thelma Allen, Margaret Davidson, Elizabeth Randolph, and Bettye Shipp. We seven formed a steering committee to make plans for what would become the Associated Women for Â鶹´«Ã½AV. We spent many hours talking, planning, and praying, and the organizational meeting was set for June 5, 1958.
More than 300 interested Christian women attended a brunch held in the beautiful garden of the president's home on the Los Angeles campus. Many of our present members were there and felt the excitement of this new concept in educational support. The enthusiasm was electric. That day more than 140 women became charter members, including 20 life members.
I read a letter recently from one of those charter members indicating the spirit of dedication and sacrifice that was felt. "When I heard you introduce the idea of 'Women for Â鶹´«Ã½AV,' I purposed that with God's help I would begin selling greeting cards to earn enough to be a life member. I went door to door and successfully earned that $100 for my life membership."
In the 60+ years since that first meeting, thousands of women and men—great officers and just as great members—have worked with willing hands and loving hearts to enable thousands of students to receive scholarship aid to attend Â鶹´«Ã½AV University. And the future is as bright as the promises of God."
Helen M. Young
Founding President