All Greek life organizations do some form of philanthropy or community service. However, one Georgia Southern fraternity has taken that requirement to a higher level.

The Zeta Delta Delta chapter of the international Omega Psi Phi fraternity won accolades for distinguished international and statewide community service in 2014 and 2015.

“Over the past few years, we have won International Social Action Chair of the Year, and that’s out of every chapter in our fraternity, internationally. We won that as well as the statewide award [for social action],” Ta’shon Grady, member of Zeta Delta Delta and business administration graduate student, said.

The fraternity chapter was founded in 1986 and chartered at GS in 1987. Since then, its members have participated in various service efforts in the Statesboro and Bulloch County area, including Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and Joseph’s Home for Boys.

Zeta Delta Delta recently hosted their “LooQing Into the Future” event at the Rotunda. During the event, members sold popsicles and accepted donations to raise money to pay for two children’s eye appointments.

“We plan on going to the Walmart optometrist and talking with them to see who the more underprivileged kids are who aren’t able to afford it,” Jamal Choice, member of Zeta Delta Delta and epidemiology graduate student, said.

Zeta Delta Delta also participates in weekly Service Saturdays. The chapter assists local service organizations and tries to help a different organization each Saturday.

“Service Saturdays are our way of making sure we’re giving back to our community at all times. One of our fraternity’s best principles are that we take care of our community,” Gregory Bailey, member and a senior civil engineering major, said.

In addition to Service Saturdays, Zoo Que also visits the Summit apartment complex on North Main Street regularly.

“We actually make plates for the individuals. It is an apartment complex where we prepare the food at the food bank, and then from there, we will transport the food and hand it out to various individuals at that apartment complex,” Bailey said.

The fraternity hosted a back-to-school supplies drive August 18 at the Rotunda for Bulloch County elementary school students.

“For the next back-to-school-drive, we will actually fill 20 bookbags, and we’re going to distribute them to each school, and supply them to the more underpriviledged kids,” Bailey said.

Zeta Delta Delta plan on doing the “LooQing Into the Future” and Service Saturdays events again in the coming weeks. The fraternity will post specific dates and times for these events on their Instagram account, @zoo_ques1986.

Photo courtesy of Tahir Daudier.