Fraternity Brothers with a Heart for the Homeless

The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance estimated that in 2011 there were 5,783 homeless people in Dallas County, many living in the downtown area less than 20 miles from Dallas Baptist University. Several fraternity brothers at DBU were moved by this statistic and decided that they would dedicate time each month as a fraternity to serve the needy population in their community. Since service is a key component of each Greek organization at DBU, the members of Pi Theta Tau made homeless ministry a central aspect of their organization.

Throughout the school year, the fraternity spent one Saturday a month focused on the downtown Dallas area’s homeless population. A few of the young men even obtained their food handlers' licenses to be able to distribute the food and water. Before going out, they would pray for those they would encounter as they prepared handmade sack lunches and gathered socks for the cold winter months.

“Handing out food was a great conversation starter and allowed us to build relationships as we would go to the same places every time,” fraternity president David Reyes explained.

Taking time to sit and have conversations with those they met taught the students about the importance of investing in the lives of others.

“Many of those people are broken and need God’s love, which we, as a group seeking to be godly men, want to share,” said Seth O’Neal, Pi Theta Tau fraternity member.

This ministry has opened the eyes of many of the fraternity members and has had a profound impact on their faith.

“God's love reaches to every individual and his love is for all of them,” said O’Neal. “Sometimes we get so stuck in our material bubble that we forget about the lifestyle of the homeless and how they have barely anything and still God can use every one of them. That is the power of God's love.”

Planning ahead for next year, Reyes said, “We are envisioning where we want to take this ministry. We would love to partner with multiple [homeless] ministries in the future and help them raise funds, awareness, or even help collect clothes and food. Many of our guys have a heart for homeless ministry, and it is a great way for us to get out and serve.”

The young men of Pi Theta Tau are putting into practice the command of Jesus to love one another, even those who might appear to the world as the “least of these.” Giving of their time and minimal resources may not seem like a big sacrifice, but the impact on the lives of those they touch will be immeasurable in eternity.

“This ministry has been a great opportunity so far for this fraternity,” O’Neal expressed. “It has brought our brotherhood close together as we see God work and rock our world through each service that we have participated in. I am praying that God still uses us in this ministry and that we glorify Him in all that we do.”