GREEKS CONTRIBUTE HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF SERVICE TO COMMUNITY

The adage, "It's amazing what one person can do when he or she puts her mind to it" was put to good use by sororities and fraternities at Southeast Missouri State University Sunday.

In fact, both organizations have taken that very saying and multiplied its worth by the hundreds.

About 260 members of Greek organizations at the university hit the streets Sunday in the first of two "service Sundays, which will kick off Greek Week activities this year.

"We estimate that we will have done more than 750 hours of community service in just one day," said Georgia Sobery, service chairman of the 1994 Greek Week steering committee. "This is something we do for the community that we think is very worthwhile."

Volunteers from the university's fraternities and sororities performed a number of civic duties, including door-to-door collection of canned food for the Salvation Army, visiting children at the Cottonwood Treatment Center, visiting older citizens at the Eldercare Center and Frederick Street Manor, and searching for books lost in the stacks at the local library.

Sobery said the event is usually held on the Saturday prior to the start of Greek Week, but this year was divided into two Sundays due to scheduling conflicts.

"We can do so much more for the community this way," she said.

The main goal of this year's "service Sundays" is to raise money for the Head Start program in Cape Girardeau.

"All of the sororities have members who go and spend time with the kids," said Sobery. "But this way, we can raise so much more and buy them the kinds of things they really need."

One of the ways the Greek organizations hope to raise money is by having a car wash in the parking lot of the Pizza Hut store at 134 S. Sprigg. The car wash was rained out Sunday.

Volunteers from the Greek organizations are also planning to paint and clean the inside of the downtown Concord Theatre on Sunday.

"When we plan our service days every year, we basically go through the phone book and look for city and philanthropic organizations," said Sobrey. "We also have people who contact us with projects they need done."

Service Sunday started out several years ago as a canned food drive for the Salvation Army. Over the years, it has grown to encompass several non-profit agencies and charitable organizations.

"I think we all look forward to the service days, because we can get out into the community and give something back," Sobery said. "We are coming together today for a common good."

On the day of the event, fraternity and sorority members file into the Greek office on campus to sign up for different projects in the community.

"This is the only event the Greek community does all year where we work together like this," said Maggie Conlon, co-chairman of Greek Week activities. "It's good for us to go out as a group into the community and work not only with area residents, but with each other as well."