In a time where community building is essential to nearby businesses and community officials, AU’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity showed support and appreciation to the local fire and police department through the donation of snacks and personal protective equipment (PPE), which was given out this past Friday.

This was not only looked at as a display of courtesy to the officers and firefighters who work for the community, but also in remembrance of the Phi Psi founders, William H. Letterman and Charles P.T. Moore who served as caretakers to their friends during the typhoid epidemic in 1852.

Jeremy Ziemak, nursing major and corresponding secretary for Phi Psi, helped lead the donation event, which brought nearly 20 fraternity members to the local departments to visit the firefighters and police officials.

“We did this for our Founder’s Day,” Ziemak said. “Our two founders stayed and treated people during the typhoid epidemic, so we wanted to do something for the people that are going out in the pandemic everyday to help people.”

The group brought hand sanitizer bottles, disposable face masks and two boxes full of treats for the workers to take along on the road.

“The big story for the past year has been that [PPE] supplies have been running low, so we were able to find a couple things and we wanted to give it to places where we knew the items were definitely needed,” Ziemak said. “We donated to the [fire department] and [police department] because it’s local and they do a lot for this community and for this university and work close with COVID-19.”

Ziemak reached out to both of the public relations offices to ensure there would be enough materials for all the workers in both offices. 

“When we got there it was nothing but smiles, and when we got to the police department there was a sergeant who came out and was very grateful. The fire department let us walk around the garage and check everything out—they were both very friendly.”

Phi Psi plans to continue on with donating and serving their community by holding a charity silent auction for Camp Nuhop, a Perrysville-based summer camp for children who have learning differences and behavior disorders.

This charity event, typically raising five thousand dollars, is currently set for April 17 and will be held through a virtual auction in hopes to make up for last year’s event cancellation.