• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living

  • HBCUs
    • What is an HBCU?
    • History
    • List of HBCUs
    • Notable Graduates
  • Jobs
  • Parents
    • HBCU Rankings
    • Black College Tours
    • College Admissions
    • Financing
    • College Scholarships
    • College Planning
  • Current Students
    • College Life
      • Greek Life
      • Sports
      • Dorm Living
      • College Survival
    • Careers
      • HBCU Career Hub
      • Internships
      • Career Profiles
      • Entrepreneur
    • Research Paper Resources
      • Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
      • How To Write An Annotated Bibliography
      • Journalism Research Paper Resources
  • Alumni
    • HBCU Shirts
    • Podcast
    • Alumni Spotlight
    • HBCU Merch
    • Jobs
  • Shop

You are here: Home / Current Students / College Life / Greek Life / Meaningful Community Service for Black Greeks: Seven Tips

College Life, Greek Life

Meaningful Community Service for Black Greeks: Seven Tips

Members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority put in Community service time at a Harlem school on MLK Day
Members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority volunteer at a Harlem school to celebrate MLK Day. Photo via @DowntownNYCZeta.

At Zeta Phi Beta’s honorary member reception, ever-ebullient International Grand Basileus Dr. Mary Breaux Wright challenged her sorors to complete 20 million service hours by 2020, the sorority’s centennial. Zeta, like other Divine Nine organizations, has nationally mandated community service programs which fill up quite a few hours. And like their fellow Black Greeks, Zeta chapters must determine how to fill the remaining community service hours.

Filling those remaining hours presents an opportunity for Black Greek chapters to conduct meaningful community service. During a recent Black Greek Success Program leadership workshop, I asked a group of National Pan-Hellenic Council members about the greatest needs of their campus community. A social work major passionately talked about a much-needed campus food pantry that had been closed most of the academic year, so we started to map out how NPHC could fill that valuable gap. What makes the project meaningful is how passionately that student discussed the food pantry’s importance.

We Black Greeks proudly declare that we are committed to community service. That commitment must translate into real impact. So, let’s look at seven ways Black Greeks can ensure their community service truly reaches those whom they seek to serve.

1. Get to know whom you are serving.

In the race to fill community service hours and win awards, don’t forget the importance of those you serve. Mentoring, for example, is powerful because you can see your impact on the mentees. By becoming familiar with your beneficiaries’ stories, your commitment means much more.

2. Be enthusiastic about outcomes, not photo ops.

Have you ever felt some kind of way about a politician because you think he’s showing up in the ‘hood just for photo opportunities? That’s the way people feel when you use community service as photo ops, and such thoughtlessness can hurt them. A group home, for example, is where you have the vulnerable population of children. When they see you posing for pics all lettered up more enthusiastically than spending quality time, the kids may think you were never there for them in the first place. Make the people you serve the primary reason for your enthusiasm.

Read – Greek Life: How to Manage Pettiness in Your Chapter

3. Prioritize projects that align with your organization’s goals.

There are hardly “bad” community service projects but be careful of committing to efforts that may not align with your fraternity’s or sorority’s goals. When you get approached about projects that fall outside of your organization’s service objectives, either encourage individual members to participate as representatives of the chapter, connect the requesting organization with another student group, or consider the next tip.

4. Invite the campus to be part of your community service projects.

Most student organizations are filled with members who are busy with other organizations on and off campus, so everyone’s plate is full. If you feel strongly about a service project that puts a strain on your chapter members’ schedules, invite other campus peers to join you. By doing so, you can fulfill the request, educate your peers about the issue, and even help your institution’s brand.

5. Understand the overall issue.

Educate yourself on the issue to understand why the community service is needed. Communicating this could get idle chapter members more engaged. Remember that not every issue touches everyone the same way it touches you.

6. Let quality drive quantity.

Would you work harder if you knew your community service would help more people? I have volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank several times. After our shifts are done, the food bank staff lets the volunteers know how many people will get fed as a result of our efforts. I love hearing that. With that in mind, invest quality time and the numbers—including award-winning service hours—will come.

Read – Notable Black Greeks: 20 Black History Facts You Should Know

7. Use your expertise to serve.

There are valuable opportunities for members to serve individually and make an impact in the name of your fraternity or sorority. Let’s say a small non-profit could use a social media manager. That is an excellent opportunity for a marketing, public relations or journalism major to volunteer. Your service could build a pipeline of chapter members or other Black Greeks to volunteer while gaining practical experience. The non-profit would get much-needed assistance while you also add a great résumé item.

When you commit to community service, take your role as a leader seriously. Educate folks about the issue, organize your team, execute with excellence, and determine the effectiveness of your service. People who do community service just to do it never gain the satisfaction of knowing how much honor they bring to their fraternity or sorority.

February 24, 2017 by Eddie Francis

About Eddie Francis

Eddie Francis is the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast host and Greek life contributor. He is also a speaker, award-winning media veteran, and talent acquisition professional. Eddie is a regular contributor to "The HBCU Nation Radio Show" and award-winning "Sunday Journal" talk shows; and he has written for The Huffington Post, The Ladders, Great Black Speakers, LinkedIn, Social-Hire, Write to Bear Alms, Greek Ladders, and Careers in Government. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and you can learn more about him at EddieFrancis.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ARTHUR HOYTE says

    February 27, 2017 at 4:44 am

    HBCU LIFESTYLE

Primary Sidebar

Search

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick Links

  • Newsletter
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Shop
  • HBCU Colleges List: All of the Historical Black Colleges and Universities
  • HBCU Rankings 2022
  • HBCU College Tours
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Good Reads on Greek Life

  • The Divine 9: Black Sororities and Fraternities
  • Black Greek Apparel: 5 Unique Online Paraphernalia Shops
  • Joining a Black Sorority
  • Joining a Black Greek Graduate Chapter
  • How to Pick the Best Fraternity or Sorority

Popular Posts

  • Happy female college student working on research paper topics. Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
  • HBCU Sororities and Fraternities to Consider The Divine Nine: Sororities and Fraternities on HBCU Campuses
  • New Programs at Morgan Address the Work of the Future and the Future of Work Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Bowie State's nursing program students check a patient in class simulation. Top 10 HBCU Nursing Schools Rankings for 2022 by RN to BSN
  • Prairie View A&M students discuss their work in an Architecture Design Studio class. HBCUs with Architecture and Design-Related Programs

Before Footer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly HBCU news, jobs, and advice in your inbox.

Sign Me Up

Footer

About HBCU Lifestyle

The spirit and camaraderie of black college living is a lifestyle - the HBCU lifestyle! We're committed to keeping you connected to the black college living experience, bringing you the latest on everything, from scholarships and dorm living to Greek life and alumni giving.


Contact Us

Latest from the Blog

  • PVAMU’s College of Nursing Helping to Cultivate Inclusive Classrooms
  • HBCU Go Partners With Award-Winning Movie ‘Freedom’s Path’
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation Offers New HBCU Internships
  • Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Newsletter
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCUs
  • HBCU Rankings
  • HBCU Scholarships
Copyright © 2010-2022 HBCU Lifestyle, LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Get the best of the Black college experience delivered to your inbox.
Your email address:*
Name:*
Subscribe to (select all that apply):*





Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz