Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chosen300, an outreach and worship center, has been struggling to provide meals for the homeless population they regularly serve. Temple University Phi Delta Epsilon (PhiDE) has donated to this center in previous years, but this year Chosen300 reached out to them for help. The center was preparing for Thanksgiving and the winter season, with goals of providing warm meals and clothes for the homeless during the holidays. In the past, any donations had been helpful, but this year they needed a large contribution. Holly Seybold, the Vice President of Programming of Temple PhiDE, who had conducted a food drive last year decided to collaborate with other organizations to get as many donations as possible for Chosen300. Alongside Temple PhiDE, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Delta Delta Delta, Phi Sigma Sigma, the Pre-law Society, The Newman Center, and the Health Linked Institute all worked together to collect monetary donations through social media and items at a socially distanced drop-off location.
Temple PhiDE and collaborating organizations posted this board and flyer on social media platforms such as Instagram to collect funds and inform others of the drive. Follow them @phideltaepsilontemple to learn more about their fraternity and their community service efforts.
Temple University PhiDE is a professional medical fraternity with guiding principles of philanthropy, deity, and education. Premedical students join the organization and connect through fellowship, service, mentoring, formal training in leadership, science, and ethics. Temple PhiDE often hosts events to fund their philanthropy, the Children’s Miracle Network, but also takes part in helping other populations in need of healthcare support. The Winter Clothing and Food Drive was one of the events through which the organization showcased their awareness of the need for homeless healthcare. Preventative healthcare is just as important as the ability to go to the doctor, and as future physicians, Temple PhiDE recognizes this. Cold weather makes the homeless particularly vulnerable to a weakened immune system and malnutrition simply exacerbates this problem. In the times of a global pandemic, it is more important now than ever before to provide food and warm clothing to this population. The Winter Clothing and Food Drive thus took place at a perfect time.
Temple PhiDE members collected items in person on campus and fundraised a total of about $2,000.
Alongside the other organizations, Temple PhiDE raised a grand total of about $2,000. This was much more than what Chosen300 was looking for, and thus TemplePhiDE was able to contribute to more than just this outreach center. Chosen300 accepted $500 as well as all of the food items for their Thanksgiving dinner and some winter clothing. The rest of the money and winter clothing was used to create care packages for the homeless. Inside of these packages were hats, gloves, sanitary items like tampons and pads, toothpaste, snacks, gift cards to fast food places, and masks. Kristyn Spetz and Brody Boyer joined Holly Seybold in distributing these packages all around Philadelphia. Many homeless people were gathered around Reading Terminal Market, the Frankford train station, by the Ben Franklin Bridge, and on Temple University’s campus itself. They were able to hand out many packages at these locations and encourage others to do the same.
Temple PhiDE created care packages to distribute using the money left after donating to Chosen300. Find more about Chosen300 at chosen300.org.
Temple University Phi Delta Epsilon completed a successful expansion of the food drive they did for Chosen300 in 2019. Last year, they had only collected canned food items and only had their fraternity members involved. This year, opening up the drive to include monetary donations and other organizations truly expanded their reach. While they typically donate to Chosen300, who serve the homeless population 5-6 times a week and about 200 people each day, Temple PhiDE were glad to have an excess of funds to create care packages with. With the care packages in particular, the students were able to focus on preventative healthcare with chosen sanitary and hygiene items on top of winter clothing and food they had donated to Chosen300. Temple PhiDE wanted to make an impact on their community, and they did that by helping the homeless in many areas of Philadelphia.