Be of Service
Service as a Cardinal Principle of Alpha Phi Omega
First. Foremost. We are about service — service to our campus, service to our community, service to our fraternity, and service to our nation; service, in short, to all of humanity.
Opportunities for Service
The needs of our chapter, our members, our campus, and our surrounding community are constantly changing; our service program reflects these changes. As such, all of our members have the opportunity to contribute to the planning and execution of our service projects and events, which benefit not only those being served but also our members by providing valuable opportunities to develop their leadership skills and to build friendships.
Weekly Service Events
We plan and organize several service events and projects every week. Examples of typical events include collecting food and funds for The Crisis Center of Johnson County and local food pantries, volunteering at The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, assisting homeless shelters, playing bingo with the elderly at Oaknoll Retirement Community, organizing blood drives, assisting women’s shelters, cleaning up local parks, creating crafts with cancer patients at the Russell and Ann Gerdin Hope Lodge, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, serving meals at the Ronald McDonald House, and many, many more.
With a Little Help From Our Friends
We collaborate with a number of other like-minded organizations. Some of those that we frequently collaborate with are listed below.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive. If your organization shares our mission, and you would like to collaborate on a project or event, let us know.
National Service Week
Alpha Phi Omega designates the first full week of November (beginning on a Sunday) every year as National Service Week. The purpose of National Service Week is twofold: to unite brothers across the country through a common goal and to increase awareness of Alpha Phi Omega to the general public. Every two years, the National Convention selects a program of emphasis to focus service activities on a particular area. The 2010 National Convention chose "Alpha Phi Omega Promotes Healthy Living" as the 2011-12 program of emphasis: during November 6-12, 2011, the focus is more specifically on "Improving Nutrition and Exercise"; during November 5-11, 2012, it is on "Fighting Against Diseases".