Why philanthropy? To a lot of people who do not understand the Greek system in college, Greek life looks like an organization who throws some wild parties, has a lot of fun, and “pays for you friends.” I think 99% of the people actually IN Greek life will beg to differ. We can throw people a billion and 10 reasons to what we are all about, and how all of the superstitions aren’t true. But I want to talk about how philanthropy plays such a huge role in Greek life.

During recruitment, we are constantly stressing how each organization differs in which community service projects they do and what they raise money for. Of course, some people who decide to go Greek don’t even look at this aspect of Greek life. However, for a good bit of the members, this is a huge aspect in choosing their chapter. You may be reading this thinking, WHY??

Here is why:

Before I decided to go to Georgia Southern University, I met a girl from another college in Georgia. She was in a sorority at her school, and talked me into the idea of recruitment. She told me all about sorority life, and what to expect. Honestly, I didn't care about the idea of joining a sorority until she mentioned a “small” aspect of her sorority at her school. She spoke with me about how her sorority (which was Alpha Gamma Delta) supported and raised money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF, which in medical terms donates to Type One Diabetes Treatment and Research. 

For me, I stopped listening to everything she would proceed to tell me about in sorority life such as the socials, sisterhood events, and meetings. I did not care about the other aspects of Greek life at that moment, because I am a type one diabetic. At the time I had only been diagnosed for a couple of years. It AMAZED me that so many girls around the country cared about a disease that I was struggling with enough to donate money, time, and energy to something that I personally had thought no one knew about or cared about. Alpha Gamma Delta already had a close place to my heart just for that very reason.

I ended up deciding to go to Georgia Southern, which, sadly, does not have Alpha Gamma Delta on our campus. During the second day of recruitment, Philanthropy Round was the round that meant one of the most to me. I spent my whole high school spare time devoted to volunteering to multiple organizations. I wanted to have an organization in college where I could continue that experience. Some girls thought this day was irrelevant; however to people like me, philanthropy means the world. If any sorority on my campus donated to JDRF, I would have wanted that house. However, because there was not, I wanted to find an organization that seemed passionate about what they could do to help with their personal philanthropy.

This is why I stress to people who are not Greek that these stereotypes are not true. There are HUGE reasons to why people want to go Greek that do not include the social life. Greek life to me changes lives. It changed my whole mindset on Greeks when someone seemed passionate about an illness I had. And knowing a national organization is fighting for people like ME makes me full of bliss when I think about it. I am a part of an organization that fights for multiple areas in the community. As a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, I have been able to see how just reading to children at a local under-privileged school, and donating books to kids who cannot afford a book at home, can change that child’s life. In my sorority chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma we donated over $5,000 to Relay for Life and cancer research last year. On my own, I would NEVER be able to accomplish what I've accomplished thus far.

It sounds cliché to say that I wanted to be a part of something “bigger than myself.” But when it comes to philanthropy and community service, being a part of something bigger than myself is necessary, and will be something that every Greek member will always be thankful for.