Eastern has no shortage of students who take time to give back to their community.

Students involved in various activities are frequently involved in some form of community service.

Individuals involved in Greek Life often serve the city in a number of ways, whether it’s raising money for a philanthropy their chapter is associated with, or participating in various community outreach organizations.

Such organizations include the Youth Aids Foundation, Charleston Teen Reach, Meals on Wheels and more.

Bob Dudolski, director of Greek Life, said most fraternities and sororities strive for a balance between raising money, and going out to maintain a physical presence in the community.

“We try to do both of those, so it’s not just all about raising money,” Dudolski said. “It should be about what you can physically do to help out and offer your services as a member of the community.”

Much emphasis is placed on spending time with children. In addition to working with the Big Brothers Big Sisters outlet in Charleston, some sororities and fraternities volunteer at local schools.

Alpha Gamma Delta, for example, takes part in a pen pal program with fourth grade students at Jefferson Elementary School. At the end of the semester, members take time to visit the school, and talk with their young pen pals.

The Alpha Gams also partake in various other activities with the fifth and sixth graders, including serving as scorekeepers at sports events.

“It gives us a chance to talk to them, and gets us away from college life for a little while,” said Meghan Russell, president of Alpha Gamma Delta. “It’s a chance to give back to them and to let them have fun.”

Student athletes also volunteer at the local schools, as part of the Extend-A-Paw branch of the school’s Panther Athletics Commitment to Excellence program.

Because of their athletic status, Cindy Tozer, director of Academic Services for Athletics, notes that many of the younger kids view the athletes as role models.

“The students in the schools love it,” Tozer said. “They look up to our athletes as celebrities!”

Past topics discussed by the athletes range from what college life is like, what athletes go through in their daily lives, and the negative effects of bullying.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Tozer said. “It expands the horizon for Eastern students, and helps bridge the gap between Eastern and Charleston.”

The Christian Campus House also makes frequent contributions to the city.

This past semester, frequent house visitors went trick-or-treating for canned goods to donate to a food drive, sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home, raked lawns for the elderly and disabled, and volunteered at the Public Action to Deliver Shelter for homeless people.

Bob Beall, executive director of the PADS shelter, estimates that students from the Christian Campus House volunteer about 4 times a week.

By serving meals in the evening, and often monitoring guests at the shelter between 7 and 11 p.m., Beal said it allows PADS to save money, and in doing so, it helps the shelter use its money to help the guests that stay there.

Beall expressed his appreciation for the students.

A number of Eastern students are also involved in the campus’ Best Buddies program. The program allows for college students to be paired with disabled individuals, most of them from group homes, and communicate with them on a regular basis.

Participants are required to have some sort of contact with their buddy once a week. In addition to a monthly group outing during which all members come together, participants also see their buddies once a month for some sort of physical outing.

Currently, Kelly Finnigan, a senior special education major and the group’s college buddy director, said the group has a total of 65 members.

“When I call my buddy, she’s super excited,” Finnigan said. “They wait for you to call. And it’s just instant gratification.”