Over 1,500 students from Washington State University Pullman’s Greek community recently converged on downtown Pullman to help with many projects including spring cleaning, food distribution at the Community Action Center, organizing trivia for Bishop Place residents, and raising money to support local businesses.
The three Greek governing councils — Panhellenic, Interfraternity, and Multicultural — agreed to match the amount of money they raised and gathered more than $10,100 to support the Pullman Downtown Business Association and Music on Main events.
Greek Week, which included more than 250 hours of community service, began on March 30 and concluded April 3. Dan Welter, director for the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life, said the purpose of Greek Week is to provide service to the community and practice philanthropy.
“Pullman is our home, and by supporting the Pullman Downtown Business Association, the students wanted to show their support for our vibrant downtown and surrounding community,” Welter said. “As the packed week of activities demonstrated, there were many ways to show their support and help our businesses shine a little more.”
One of the week’s highlights for Janice Gomez, vice president of service for the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), was seeing over 200 students show up on the first day to pick up trash along Grand Avenue and Main Street. She said another standout moment was the “table wars” that not only raised more than $2,700 at that single event but also featured a stroll performance by MGC chapters that captured the community’s unity and energy.
“This year’s Greek Week was truly one for the books and it almost felt too good to be true to see our community come together and give back in such a genuine way,” Gomez said. “I’ve never felt more accomplished, and giving back to the community is a priority for all our chapters.”
Building genuine community relationships
During Women’s History Month in March, the Panhellenic Council worked to recognize, give visibility to, and support female-owned businesses in Pullman. As part of that effort, it partnered with Birch & Barley, to organize a special Greek Girl Dinner and raised funds for Alternative to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP). Birch & Barley donated $5 from every Girl Dinner purchased, and Panhellenic double-matched that amount. In all, $810 was donated to ATVP.
Birch & Barley co-owner Jill Beilenberg said it was a great opportunity for her business to help support a local non-profit, and at the same time, welcome many first-time customers into her restaurant.
“I am super impressed with how Panhellenic managed our event and everything they did for the community during Greek Week,” Beilenberg said. “It has been heartwarming to watch, and it is appreciated.”
We wanted to get students downtown, explore new businesses, and build relationships beyond campus.
Pedro Guitierrez, director of service and philanthropy
Interfraternity Council
Pedro Guitierrez, director of service and philanthropy for the Interfraternity Council, said one of the main goals of Greek Week was to strengthen the connection between students and the local community, and he believes it accomplished just that.
“We wanted to get students downtown, explore new businesses, and build relationships beyond campus,” Guitierrez said. “I think we made a real impact not only through volunteering, but also by raising funds that will continue to support the work of improving downtown Pullman.”
Gomez learned from the experience that strong leadership comes from both good organization and connection.
“When you bring the right people together and create a positive, engaging environment, it feels rewarding rather than stressful,” Gomez said. “We continuously strive for excellence, and this experience reinforced the importance of building genuine relationships with our community.”
