The San Diego Chapter of the Links, Inc. was chartered in 1957 with 14 members: Lillian Burt, the late Sadie Crawford, the late Ruth Green, Quincella Kimbrough, Catherine Montgomery, the late Dr. Hazel Morse, Fannie Payne, the late June Powdrill, the late Hazel Ragsdale, Mercedes Ritchey, the late Ruth Ritchey, Madeline Singleton, the late Hortense White and the late Lucille Young. Over the decades service projects have included financial and volunteer support of the local Urban League, the San Diego Girls Club, the Eddie Edwards Art Studio, the Southeast Community Theater and the Southeast Community Youth Orchestra, the Elementary Institute of Science, and UNCF among others. The San Diego Chapter members are committed to educational, cultural and civic activities. Thirty-nine active members and 25 alumnae members continue to sharpen its focus and expand its program dimensions in order to make Links not only a chain of friendship, but also a chain of purposeful service. The year 1987 marked the inception of our signature project, The Achiever Program. Since that date, over 600 African American male high school seniors have participated in the six month program of enrichment activities designed to facilitate college preparedness and to develop leadership skills. Members of the San Diego Chapter of the Links, Inc. participate in fund raising activities throughout the club year to insure the success of The Achiever Program.
In 2014, the San Diego Chapter launched an exciting program, “Links to STEM”, as part of the national and regional Links’ initiatives for Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education through the Services to Youth program facet. The program addresses the significant underrepresentation of African American students pursuing STEM related college degrees by targeting children in 4th through 8th grade and exposing them to science, technology, engineering and math enrichment activities and project-based learning experiences. “Link to Stem" is a direct community partnership with the Elementary Institute of Science.