Shepherdstown, W.Va., – Shepherd University Greek Life has been busy serving the community in many different projects. From creating Valentines cards for the local small businesses to donating purses filled with sanitary product items they have been active serving the local community around them.
“The most rewarding community service project that I was part of was the canned food drive which took place last semester during Homecoming Week. I was home for COVID but collected lots of canned goods in my neighborhood and took them up to my fellow DZ sisters on the Potomac Place lawn. We won the challenge to collect the most canned goods,” said Michelle Fuhrer, a member Delta Zeta (DZ).
Most recently, Alpha Sigma Tau hosted a $48 in 48 dice challenge. The challenge is monitored through Relay for Life and lasts for two days.
The challenge required participants to have their camera and a set of dice (or die) in anticipation that they get tagged on Instagram as a nomination for the challenge. Once nominated, they recorded a video of themselves saying they have accepted the challenge and who nominated them.
Finally, they roll the dice and whatever number they roll is turned into a monetary amount that is then donated to Shepherd’s Relay for Life foundation.
Tau Kappa Epsilon, also hosted a day-long event to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by doing a virtual cold water dump challenge. As money was raised to certain increments, sisters get drenched in water. Every $100 someone gets drenched!
All videos can be found on their social media.
Fuhrer also noted, “DZ donated to the Campus Cares Competition in March 2021 which provides necessary items to local animal shelters. This was the “Cause for Paws” animal donation. We also were part of the Campus Cares Competition Thanksgiving Basket benefiting the Berkley Senior Services.”
All Greek Council hosted “Pie a President,” a fundraiser featured on Instagram. If six of the eleven chapters are able to complete the challenge, the graduate assistant for student leadership, Alyssa Roush will be pied. If all eleven chapters complete it, Rachael Meads will be pied.
Other projects Sororities and Fraternities have worked on include the Drive for Kindness. They collected donations for the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center such as body wash, shampoo/conditioner, razors, laundry detergent, toothpaste, tampons, cereal, and microwavable foods.
Sigma Sigma Sigma raised over $300 in order to make goodie bags for babies and mothers in the hospital. The sorority filled the bags with baby lotion, bottles, and hygiene products for the mothers and toys, coloring books, and stuffed animals for children on the pediatric unit.
“It is very rewarding to be part of an organization like DZ which takes community service responsibilities so seriously. From my freshman year when I joined the DZ organization, I have been continually amazed at how dedicated the sisters are to serving our objectives for our community service projects,” Fuhrer said.