Impact SpotlightIssue 17 · 2026

Recognize Their Impact

UNM Greek Week Turned Competition Into $57,000 and 8,660 Pounds of Food

UNM Greek Week brought nearly 700 students together to raise $57,000, collect 8,660 pounds of food, and complete about 500 service hours.

University of New Mexico fraternity and sorority members gathered at the 2026 Greek Week banquet
University of New Mexico fraternity and sorority members gathered at the 2026 Greek Week banquetPhoto: University of New Mexico ↗

Nearly 700 University of New Mexico students from 19 fraternity and sorority chapters participated in Greek Week from March 23 through 28, 2026. Together, they raised a record $57,000 for Storehouse New Mexico, collected 8,660 pounds of food, and completed approximately 500 hours of community service.

The effort involved all four UNM fraternity and sorority councils. It also kept money, donated food, participation, and service hours separate, giving the public a clearer account of what students contributed.

What happened during Greek Week?

Greek Week was organized by a student committee with guidance from university staff. Student chair Tessa Hefty and the committee selected Storehouse New Mexico after learning about food insecurity in the state.

Students participated in Greek Sing, trivia, team competitions, fundraising activities, park cleanups, and projects supporting Albuquerque service centers.

Chapters raised money through campus events and outreach to relatives, friends, and supporters. Organizers also used a live fundraising platform, which the university identified as one factor in the record result.

The week concluded with a banquet where students presented the donation to Storehouse New Mexico.

University of New Mexico's official Greek Week report

Which councils participated?

UNM's fraternity and sorority community operates through the College Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and United Greek Council.

The United Greek Council includes culturally based fraternities and sororities, while the National Pan-Hellenic Council represents historically Black organizations.

The 2026 event involved 19 chapters across the four-council community. UNM did not publish a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the money, food, or hours, so those totals remain attributed to the participating community collectively.

UNM Fraternity and Sorority Life

Why was Storehouse New Mexico selected?

Storehouse New Mexico is an Albuquerque nonprofit food pantry that provides free groceries to people facing hunger.

The organization reports that it served nearly 78,000 people in 2025 and distributes more than two million meals annually. Its clients include working families who may earn too much to receive certain public benefits but still struggle after a medical expense, car repair, reduction in work hours, or another financial disruption.

That context helps explain why the 8,660 pounds of donated food matters. It was directed to an organization already distributing groceries through an established local system.

The $57,000 contribution can support that work through a separate resource category. It should not be combined with the weight of donated food or the students' service hours.

Storehouse New Mexico

Why is the reporting method worth noticing?

The university published five distinct figures: $57,000 raised, 8,660 pounds of food collected, approximately 500 service hours, nearly 700 participating students, and 19 participating chapters.

Each figure answers a different question. The money shows financial support. The food total records donated goods. The hours document time contributed. The participation and chapter figures establish the size of the student effort.

Keeping the categories separate makes the account easier to verify and prevents the event from being reduced to one oversized number.

What made the result a record?

UNM reported that recent Greek Week campaigns had typically raised between $20,000 and $34,000 annually. The $57,000 total exceeded that range and was identified by the university as a record.

Increased participation and the live fundraising platform contributed to the result. Friendly competition remained part of the week, but the beneficiary received support from the shared work of students representing multiple councils and chapters.

This is one reason campus-wide reporting matters. A single chapter's social-media post might document one fundraiser or service activity. A university report can show how those efforts fit into the complete event.

What should the next report include?

Future reporting could identify each chapter's confirmed contribution, the amount of food distributed through the donation, how the $57,000 was used, service locations and project outputs, returning and first-time participants, food-security education provided during the week, and results reported by Storehouse New Mexico after distribution.

Those outcomes were not available in the current public sources.

The verified record remains substantial. Students from 19 chapters connected a traditional Greek Week competition with food assistance, direct service, and financial support for an Albuquerque nonprofit.

The Gold Standard of Excellence

GLOs United recognizes the student committee, participating chapters, all four councils, university advisors, donors, volunteers, and Storehouse New Mexico.

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