Delta Upsilon has a long history of caring about and giving back to the Cambridge and Boston community. We promote community-centered projects and attitudes because we know that being a part of this school, city, and world means that we have a responsibility to keep it healthy and beautiful and to help out our neighbors when they are in need. Delta Upsilon gives back to its community and takes care of its neighbors by participating in multiple projects, fundraisers, and events that either help to enrich the area or raise money for the less fortunate.
Towards the end of April, Delta Upsilon will hold its annual community service event called the Yanni project in memory of a brother who passed away years ago during the summer between his freshman and sophomore years. Past Yanni projects have been community-building events where the brothers help out the local area by contributing manpower and skilled labor to improve the appearance of a public part of either Boston or Cambridge.
A few years ago, the house joined some Harvard students in creating a trail through the woods at Fresh Pond to provide access from a local road to a scenic park and lake. The seniors of the house recall their freshman Yanni project fondly. They raised over five hundred dollars from Delta Upsilon Alumni and replaced an old playground with new, clean, and safe equipment at a local school in Cambridge.
This year, we worked with an organization called Rebuilding Together, a national volunteer non-profit group that rehabilitates the houses of low-income home owners so that they may continue to live in warmth, safety, and independence. Expected participation is the whole house, which is forty-four brothers who will work at the site for approximately six hours. The Yanni Project is our most important community service project because it helps us overcome the loss of our brother by helping others and gives us perspective on life in helping people who are truly in need of our assistance.
Community service means a lot to Delta Upsilon because it gives the brothers a chance to give back to the community and really make a difference in the lives of many people. The brotherhood as a whole develops when we participate in projects together, and make a positive impact on our neighborhood.
