Fraternity and multicultural sorority hold joint canned food drive

Delta Phi, the United States’ oldest continuous fraternity, wants to start something new.

Joe Madar, president of Delta Phi fraternity, said that every year the three councils of the Greek community aim to get together, do more joint programs and become more unified.

“This fails every year,” he said.

Every year except this one, that is.

Thursday night in room 104 of David Lawrence Hall, Delta Phi fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta sorority joined for what Madar said was the first philanthropy event sponsored by both a white fraternity and black sorority.

“I can’t say for a fact that it’s the first event ever,” he said, “but I do know that the three councils are always saying we’ll do programs … and we never end up doing anything together.”

The three Greek councils are the National Panhellenic Conference, Intrafraternity Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council. They are the national bodies of female, male and black sororities and fraternities.

Thursday night’s event was called “Meeting the Basic Needs.” The groups held a canned food drive for the community service organization Jubilee Soup Kitchen and a chance for Delta Phi fraternity members and Zeta Phi Beta sorority members to get acquainted.

Paul Spisak, the administrative secretary for Jubilee Soup Kitchen, spoke to both groups about the kitchen and how to volunteer.

Spisak said most people who come to eat at the kitchen on the street, and it is Jubilee’s mission not only to provide roughly 150 people with a hot meal at lunch time daily, but to treat them with dignity and respect.

“We call our people guests,” he said.

The night accorded with Zeta Phi Beta sorority’s theme this semester of philanthropy and with its recent initiative, Zetas Helping Other People Excel.

Among other events they have done this year, Zeta Phi Beta sorority will hold a raffle to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It tables every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Towers lobby. Winners can expect an iPod or gift certificates to restaurants like Subway and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

Both organizations said they hope to get involved with Jubilee next term.

Tasha Turner, vice president of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, said the members have volunteered there in the past. She and sorority president Judy-April Oparaji said they hope more events like Thursday’s can happen in the future.

“Hopefully, we won’t have to do events just to get to know each other,” Turner said.

“We want all our events to have a reason,” Operaji added.

A benefit of joint events is that the organizations can reach a more diverse crowd together, and thereby reach more people on campus.

Jubilee is located at 2005 Wyandotte St., just off Fifth Avenue.

Spisak said Jubilee offers many services in addition to the soup kitchen, such as medical clinics twice per week and a program for getting shoes, as well as welfare and health care assistance.

About 40 members of Delta Phi fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta sorority filled the David Lawrence classroom Thursday and brought 90 cans for the soup kitchen.

After Spisak spoke, representatives from each group stood behind the pyramid of cans for a picture. White fraternity brothers and black sorority sisters smiled for the camera behind the tomato soup, corn, SpaghettiOs and Chef Boyardee.

“We want to understand each other because we’re all so different,” Turner said.

“They have just as much to offer us as we have to offer them,” Madar said.