One of the stated purposes of Greek organizations is community service, and A&T’s Eta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity fulfilled that purpose on the evening of Friday, Jan. 12.The members of Phi Beta Sigma spent the night helping those in need when they hosted their annual Sleep Out for the Homeless.The Sleep Out for the Homeless is a service project that was started in 1988 by Phi Beta Sigma’s Eta chapter. The project began to help raise community awareness of homelessness. In 2000, the chapter received national recognition for the program. It became a nationally mandated program for chapters of the organization.David Miller, Eta chapter adviser, remembers attending the first event during his time as a student. “Back then it used to be held after a home basketball game in December, but in recent years it has been held during the weekend of Dr. King’s birthday as a part of our weekend of service,” Miller said.The event which was held from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. gave students a chance to experience a night in the lives of the less fortunate by sleeping on cardboard boxes and surviving amongst the elements. “It is a good thing to experience what it is like to live on the other side,” said Dorand Blackston, Eta chapter president and senior, teacher education major.”To actually spend a night out in the cold changes your perspective on things.Everyone here in college has a home to go back to, a meal plan or some other type of luxury that some people do not have. After coming to an event like this, then maybe you will be a bit more considerate the next time you see a homeless person and will help them out,” he said.Perhaps the greatest accomplishment that the Sleep Out has made besides being adopted by chapters at more than 3,000 campuses across the world is that other public and national organizations across America have adopted similar programs based on the success of the original.”The best thing about the program was that it started with our very own chapter, which is something that no one can take away from us. It means a lot that it was the Eta chapter of Greensboro that started it since this city has such a rich history in the civil rights movement,” said Kelley Woodley, a spring 2006 graduate and current graduate chapter member.Throughout the evening, the members of the organization collected non-perishable canned goods, clothing and monetary donations. All donations were distributed to the local Urban Ministries the following morning.