LSU’s Greek Week, a celebration of community, service and unity, was in full swing as fraternity and sorority members came together to build homes for families in need last week. Since 2005, LSU’s Greek Life has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, and this year marks the construction of the 35th and 36th homes.
Their efforts have resulted in homes for 42 adults and 65 children.
“We fundraise all year for this week to just be able to buy the materials for [the] houses,” said Amanda MacFadyen, a mass communication junior who serves as the event’s panhellenic co-director. The Greek community has raised over $40,000 this year alone, according to MacFadyen.
“Since we’ve had this partnership, 18,000 fraternity and sorority members have volunteered, donating over 74,000 hours of service,” said Ritchie Goebel, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge.
Volunteers from various chapters combined efforts to build two homes in just one week. These homes will be provided to families in need through the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program, offering them a safe and stable place to live.
The volunteers were actively engaged at the site, physically constructing the homes from the ground up.
“Many people don’t expect to actually be handed a hammer and be told, ‘OK, you’re gonna build this wall,'” MacFadyen said.
“Since we started this, LSU Greeks have raised over $2 million to support these builds,” Goebel said.
