Panhellenic council unifies sororities to support cause

~There are currently 899 donors on 162 campuses across the nation

The six sororities at Southeast Missouri State University have teamed up to help support the Circle of Sisterhood, an organization mainly supported by sorority women who raise financial resources for entities around the world that are removing educational barriers for girls and women facing poverty and oppression.

The organization is currently supported by 899 donors and 162 campuses across the nation. A total of $374,000 has been raised, which supports young women in 16 countries.

With more than five million sorority women in the U.S., the Circle of Sisterhood targets them and reaches out for their support above all else. The foundation describes itself as a mechanism by which all sorority women can stand together across affiliation, age, color and creed to make a difference in the lives of millions of girls and women.

Founder Ginny Carroll realized that as a college educated woman and former member of a sorority, she had a responsibility to do something to help girls and women around the world get an education, and she knew that she could not do it alone. Therefore, she reached out to her fellow sorority women for help.

This unified philanthropy is being enforced by Panhellinic Council, the governing body of sororities at Southeast.

Panhellinic Council Vice President of Community Relations Caitlin Jasper pushed the idea and is encouraging every sorority to become active members of supporting the sisterhood.

"I was really, really excited about it, and that's why I've been working so hard to push it and for us to become more active in it because I just think it's such a great cause," Jasper said. "It's awesome that all the sororities have their own individual philanthropies, but in this philanthropy everyone works together. We're all coming together to raise money for the same cause."

Panhellinic Council has been educating the sorority women of Southeast about the cause by showing a mandatory viewing of the film "Half the Sky," which was the inspiration for the founding of Circle of Sisterhood.

The film shows a glimpse of the lives of several young women around the world and their struggle to receive proper education while facing oppression and having to help financially support themselves and sometimes their families. The council hopes to continue to spread awareness and raise money by hosting several fundraisers scheduled for the fall semester and having a "Panhellinic Pride Week" that will be centered around furthering the knowledge and education of the cause.

"I love the Circle of Sisterhood because it allows the sororities at SEMO to unite together to support a really great cause that will help women for generations to come," Panhellinic Council member Chanel Blount said.

Jasper hopes that supporting the organization will not only inspire sorority members to support and serve, but also promote Greek unity across Southeast's campus by working toward the same goals for the first time.