The Delta Kappa Epsilon Psi Chapter on the University of Alabama campus began asking for frozen foods—anything that can be baked, heated, or cooked—from other fraternity houses and the community to help the fraternity’s disaster relief effort on Friday, junior fraternity member Patrick Morris said Friday morning. By Saturday, the DKE relief operation had expanded to include collection and distribution of clothes, toiletries, and other needs.

“All the greek houses were planning on cooking during exam week,” Morris said Friday. “We’re cooking what we can in our kitchen, boxing it up and taking it out around the city.”

“Yesterday we were surprised with how much we could actually make an impact with just delivering food, and we knew we could grow,” senior DKE brother and former SGA President James Fowler said Saturday. “Shelters need food and clothes, they need toiletries—that type of supplies. We can collect them here and take them to the centers, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Morris also said around 11 a.m. Friday that the DKE brothers found themselves needing help with the 1000-plus meals they expected to cook on top of the about 400 already delivered.

“We also need manpower and cars to deliver the food,” he said. “We’re making the food faster than we can deliver it. We have enough food to cook all day.”

Fowler said that need extended into Saturday, even with the DKE kitchen running at full capacity. He said the operation has extended to include three fraternity houses in addition to DKE—Beta Theta Pi, Phi Gamma Delta and Sigma Nu.

“We’re storing freezer goods in sorority houses, and the Dekes have opened the Rampant Lions fund—a nonprofit that will fund some food that’s on the way now,” Fowler said.

Friday night, DKE sent an email explaining the impact the house had on the community on Friday and asking for more help on Saturday.

“Together we made over 3,500 lunches and dinners, 150 volunteers cooked and distributed food, and we donated over 2,000 lbs. of canned foods,” the email stated. “However, we will need more manpower and more kitchens to cook in. If we can cook in your fraternity or sorority kitchen tomorrow or if you can bring a grill to the back yard of the DKE House, please contact Patrick Morris immediately [at] (205) 540-0665.”

In addition to establishing the DKE house as the “main pantry and logistics center” for the UA Greek Community Relief Efforts, the email gave a list of critical needs, including:

– School Supplies (Dry erase markers, paper, pencils, pens, binders, etc.)

– Baby Supplies (Diapers, wipe-ups, etc)

– Food (Canned foods, frozen foods, sandwich meat, etc.)

– Clothes (Casual wear is best)

– Over the counter medicine

– Toiletries (Toothpaste, deodorant, etc)

– Blankets (Towels, etc,)

– Rain Gear

– Anything else that may benefit the relief effort.