Fraternity grooms neighborhood
Volunteers spend Saturday morning cleaning neighborhood surroundings

by Kristi Kohlenberg
Contributing writer

Theta Chi members did not sleep in on Saturday morning. Instead, they picked up trash and raked leaves for the neighborhood surrounding their house, 1404 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, during the Theta Chi Neighborhood Cleanup.

More than 50 volunteers combed the streets from Florida Avenue to Washington Street and from Lincoln Avenue to Race Street, picking up debris and cleaning gutters. The fraternity held the cleanup for the first time last year and plans on making it an annual event.

In addition to last year's general cleanup, Theta Chi did yard work for specific residences. Neighborhood residents accepted the fraternity's offer to help with yard work, and volunteers went to 11 residences to trim hedges, rake leaves, dig holes and mow lawns.

Jeremy Bredfelt, Theta Chi philanthropy chair and sophomore in engineering, said the event began because the fraternity felt compelled to make an impact on the surrounding community.

"This is a philanthropy that is aimed more at service than at raising money," said Jeff Vyunda, fraternity president and sophomore in engineering. "We want to promote the greek image in the surrounding community - two things we didn't see other philanthropies doing."

Residents were excited to have help with yard work, especially Theta Chi's elderly neighbors.

"They're a godsend," said Neva Danner of Urbana. Volunteers trimmed hedges and sprayed weed-killer for Danner and her husband, chores they are unable to do. "Charles has a bad back, and I have bad knees. We're 80 and 81. We just want to stay in our home as long as possible."

Volunteers helped Bonnie Switzer of Urbana by digging up her yard so she could plant grass seed.

"I appreciate the help," Switzer said. "Sometimes you feel overwhelmed with everything you have to do with a house."

Bredfelt was excited about the turnout.

"The response we got from the community was overwhelmingly positive," he said. "There were a lot of smiling faces."