Philanthropy has brought together members from all different sects of the culturally and racially diverse Greek community.
After months of planning and fundraising, the Inter-Greek Habitat for Humanity House began construction on Saturday. This is the first Greek-sponsored house in what is intended to continue as an annual program.
The project draws members from all four of the Greek councils (Inter-Fraternity Council, Inter-Sorority Council, Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council). According to project leaders, it is designed to combat poverty in Charlottesville and build relationships among the University's diverse fraternal community.
"We've found that within the councils people don't really know about other members that are Greek," said Massie Payne, ISC president and Inter-Greek Habitat steering committee member. "We're trying to get a project together that not only helps the Charlottesville community and the Greek image in Charlottesville, but that also works to increase knowledge of the four Greek councils amongst the councils."
Racial tension caused by hate incidents earlier in the school year still resonates in the hearts of many students, and the group feels that this would be a good opportunity to help create connections that might not otherwise be formed, according to Eric Flow, steering committee member and Kappa Sigma fraternity brother.
"This is a unique year because there have been a lot of incidents trying to divide the University," Flow said. "This stands as a way for a third of the University to unify themselves, come together and put words into action. This is an indirect way towards showing that we are working together, we're trusting each other and we're creating relationships."
MGC President Grace Lee appreciated the "opportunity to get know the other councils."
She also said she feels this is a positive way to allow the smaller councils to get out and get represented.
"It shows the community that we are here just as much as the large organizations," Lee said. "There is a multicultural council that is still very much representative and we also really want to give back to the community."
The group gathered on 6½ Street -- the site of construction -- for the first day of building Saturday.
The day "was awesome -- we had about 30 people come out," Inter-Greek steering committee member Mary Elliott Coleman said. "It was a really great experience and we're just getting started; we built some walls and just kind of got the ball rolling. It seemed like everyone was having a great time getting to know each other."
Flow called the large population of University students enrolled in fraternities and sororities a "huge resource that we don't use efficiently."
The fraternal community is comprised of approximately 4,000 people. Having a Greek affiliation is the largest commonality shared within this diverse conglomeration. The group hopes by bringing these people together in organized service they could create a large social impact.
Although often unacknowledged, poverty and the lack of affordable housing in Charlottesville continue to be a growing problem. The Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless conducted a January 2005 survey in which 175 individual homeless persons were located but estimated that there is probably a total of 257 people who are without homes. The most recent United States census report projected that 935 families (12 percent) and 25.9 percent of individuals live below the poverty line in Charlottesville. This percentage more than doubles the national average which states that 12.7 percent of the country qualifies as "impoverished."
"Undergrad students don't realize the amount of poverty in the Charlottesville community," Flow said. "There's Foxfields and these huge houses on Rugby Road, but in reality more than a quarter of all of Charlottesville lives below the poverty line."
The group is working with Habitat for Humanity and has raised upwards of $41,000 out of the $50,000 necessary to be the primary sponsor of a house. Funding has been made possible in large part through monetary contributions from groups such as the Parents Program, various councils, the vice president of student affairs, parents and other individuals. Once the monetary goal is achieved, Habitat will take over the revenue raising and through its own fundraising effort will contribute an additional $60,000 to the house. Habitat chose a family and sent the family through a financial responsibility class.
"Habitat recognizes the overall problem with a lot of people in the U.S. with budgeting and they try and combat that," Flow said.
At the classes, families learn the importance of planning out a budget and maintaining the homes through small repairs, which proved beneficial for the family and the participants.
"I've learned so much about the different councils -- they're very similar but also very different," Coleman said. "I think that it's been a very positive thing and I hope that it continues."
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