A national service fraternity is coming to Loyola’s campus after being chartered by the Student Government Association.

Alpha Phi Omega, a national organization committed to community service that has 375 different chapters around the U.S., will see its newest chapter at Loyola.

A Loyola chapter of the fraternity was chartered with a unanimous vote at the Jan. 22 SGA meeting.

Service projects that Alpha Phi Omega chapters have done include Alfred University’s chapter collecting 400 thank you cards for soldiers overseas, Shepard University’s chapter helping clean a homeless shelter and Delaware Valley College’s chapter sorting and packing clothes with Cradles to Crayons in Philadelphia for Martin Luther King Day.

Kirsten Brackett, mass communication sophomore and president for Alpha Phi Omega’s Loyola chapter, said students could join the organization to participate in service and meet others.

“Alpha Phi Omega has its members complete 20 hours of service a semester and two fellowships, which is bonding with the other members, or your brothers,” Brackett said.

Brackett, who transferred to Loyola from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo., said she was first involved in Alpha Phi Omega’s Tulane University chapter. She said Tulane’s chapter president suggested for her last semester to start an Alpha Phi Omega chapter at Loyola.

Blake Corley, mass communication junior and SGA’s executive vice president, said students who are involved in service through Loyola, Loyola University Community Action Program or the community could use Alpha Phi Omega to connect with others on a national level.

“It allows them to join a network of students from across the country that are dedicated to the same cause that they are,” Corley said. “It allows them to be connected for the rest of their lives.”

Corley said that with the charter, Loyola’s Alpha Phi Omega chapter has the opportunity to qualify for allocations and tap into SGA’s resources.

Brackett said Loyola’s chapter would be working with Tulane’s chapter to do service projects, get community partners to do service with and spread the word about Alpha Phi Omega to gain new members.

Brackett said she believes Alpha Phi Omega is great opportunity for students to get involved in service.

“Being a part of Alpha Phi Omega, you have planned service,” Brackett said. “So, all you have to do is sign up to work on a service site and you also have planned fellowships, which is a great way to meet new people.

Allison Cormier, political science sophomore and senator-at-large of SGA, said the charter gives the organization recognition as well as better opportunities to expand.

“This allows them to recruit members. This allows them to hold meetings, to have all of the rights that go with being an official chartered group on this campus,” Cormier said.

Corley said he could not wait to see how Alpha Phi Omega leaves an impact with students and work with them to promote service.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what this national organization dedicated specifically to service is going to offer our students,” Corley said. “I think it’s gonna be amazing to watch it grow.”

Burke Bischoff may be reached at [email protected]