Philanthropy! Sorority BYO Single-handedly Keeps Malaysian Restaurant in Business

Many sororities are known for their philanthropic efforts. These efforts are usually on a national—or even global—level: tackling breast cancer, domestic violence, and child abuse, among other large-scale efforts. However, one organization has decided to break this mold.

Off-campus sorority Omega Alpha Kappa has no national chapter to tell them what to do or who to support, so they decided to focus their philanthropy on something a little closer to home.

“We are a Philadelphia-based organization,” OAK’s president Haley Steinberg said. “So, the other girls and I decided that we should be giving back to our city, and what better way to support the community than by giving back to local businesses?”

The OAK women hit Center City, becoming familiar with local business owners in order to learn how they could help. They settled on the Malaysian restaurant Pineapple Scale, which has a large dinning are big enough to fit, say, 200 women.

The sheer amount of food they ordered at their BYO that night single-handedly put Pineapple Scale in the green. Sure, the OAK sisters got a little rowdy, and sure, you could see the fear and anger on the chefs' faces as the sisters forced themselves into the kitchen halfway through the night, but overall the outing was a success.

“I am very proud of my organization for coming together to do something like this,” Steinberg said. “You could even say we helped the Uber drivers of Philadelphia that night, too. It feels good to give back.”