Home of New Vision
Home of New Vision (HONV) is a program located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that aids in the recovery of chemically dependent women. Currently, this is the only program for women in the entire state of Michigan. Our services include donations of our time, hard work, and money that we raise to help the women of HONV. We have donated checks to the program's director, Glynis, to show our committment and support of the program. Also, for the last two years we have held Linen Drives during the winter months to gather linens so the women will have a warm winter. Other activities we have done with the women are taking them shopping for the winter holidays and decorating pumpkins for the Halloween season.
The Interested Ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. University of Michigan, traveled to Washington D.C. to march for immigrant civil rights on October 16, 1999. We manned the table of the Latino Civil Rights Center along with its president Roberto Frisancho.
Lambda Theta Alpha collaborated with Lambda Theta Phi, Delta Tau Lambda, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Lambda Beta to partake in the 2nd Annual Latino Greek Weekend. The weekend started on Thursday March 23, 2000 with a community service event held at the Glacier Hills Retirement Home. Friday the 24th, members volunteered at SAFEHOUSE, a shelter for women and children. Saturday March 25th, marked the weekend finale with a party at The Cave.
Lambda Theta Alpha volunteered at St. Joseph's annual golf benefit in Saginaw, MI to help the church raise money to build a much needed new church.
Lambda Theta Alpha strongly believes in the importance of education. Education is the key to success and the advancement of the Latino community; through it we can accomplish anything. One way Beta Omicron Chapter has shown its dedication to the continuation of education in the Latino community is by donating to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). HSF is the largest Hispanic scholarship-granting organization in the nation. HSF recognizes and rewards outstanding Hispanic students in higher education throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. HSF is also Lambda Theta Alpha's national philanthropy.
In an effort to increase the number of college students registered to vote, Lambda Theta Alpha registered students on campus to vote during the week of September 25. Lambda Theta Alpha strongly believes that your vote is your voice. Change cannot come about if we do not actively voice our needs and concerns.
Lambda Theta Alpha and Lambda Theta Phi sponsored a cultural dinner, "Dinner on the Lambdas", on November 12, 2001 in the South Quad cafeteria for the university community to sample various types of Latin food.
Lambda Theta Alpha collected cans of food and other non-perishables food
items and toiletries outside of Busch's Supermarket. The can drive was a
huge success. We were able to collect several items to donate to various
homeless shelters across the Ann Arbor area in hopes that the less
fortunate would have a Happy Thanksgiving.
On April 12, 2000, Lambda Theta Alpha held a Poetry Slam for all interested UofM community members. Students and faculty came out to read both personal and published pieces of poetry and spoken word.
A two-week outreach and educational campaign held to educate the university community about HIV and AIDS, prevention of HIV/AIDS, and its impact on the African-American/Latino communities.
Sponsored by: African-Students Association, Black Medical Student Association, Black Premedical Association, Black Student Union, La Salud, Latin-American/Native American Medical Student Association, Latino Pre-Health Association, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi
Lambda Theta Alpha provided toys and clothes for a needy child in hopes that our adopted child would have a wonderful Christmas!
In an effort to help students deal with the stress associated with final exams, Lambda Theta Alpha sponsored a Final Exams Study Break where we showed a movie and had pizza. Those in attendance had a good time and enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours with friends and a good movie!
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, Lambda Theta Alpha participated in the University's annual MLK Day of Service in which hundreds of student organizations, students, and faculty members took part in various community service projects at sites across Ann Arbor and Detroit to honor the memory of King.
Lambda Theta Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and the University Activities Center (UAC) teamed up to bring Frank G to the University of Michigan on January 20, 2001 as part of Beta Omicron chapter's Founder's Week celebration. Frank G is a Puerto Rican comedian who has appeared on BET's "ComicView."
Lambda Theta Alpha has sponsored several movie nights each starring Latino actors. Through these free movie showings we hope to provide the UofM community with the opportunity to take a break from studying and learn about and appreciate our rich Latino culture while at the same time mingling among friends both old & new. Movies we have shown thus far are:
"Mi Familia" (December 7, 2000)
"Price of Glory"(January 22, 2001)
"Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate)" (October 7, 2001)
Kids Fair is a program sponsored by UM's K-Grams in which over 1,000
kindergarten through 5th grade students from schools all over Ann Arbor,
Detroit and Ypsilanti come to the University of Michigan campus. These
kids are able to enjoy a plethora of activities at booths sponsored by
UofM student groups.
Lambda Theta Alpha has participated in Kids Fair
for the last three years where we have had a booth for kids to create
friendship bracelets and necklaces out of colorful pasta, beads, and
cereal. March 2002 marked our third year of involvement in this
program. Our booth featured a cultural activity
incorporating the Kids Fair 2002 theme: Smilin' Around the World! Sisters of LTA taught the kids about papel picado and gave them the opportunity to make it.
Lambda Theta Alpha organized a Charity Ball on February 26, 2001 and donated all proceeds to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Dance 2XS, The Comedy Company, and Komposit provided the entertainment. The Charity Ball was a huge success that raised several hundred dollars for NORD while at the same time bringing together Multicultural Greek Organizations on campus. Delta Nu Epsilon, Delta Tau Lambda, Lambda Theta Phi, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Zeta Sigma Chi cosponsored the event. The charity ball was of special significance to Lambda Theta Alpha because it was in memory of Nicholas Boccio. Nicholas is a boy whose life was taken at a young age by a rare disease. He was a patient of a Beta Omicron sister who had the pleasure of working very closely with him.
LTA's second annual Charity Ball took place on Saturday, March 16, 2002 in the Michigan Union Pendelton Room. This year, LTA decided to donate all proceeds to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to help America's most underrepresented college bound students obtain a higher education. We were honored to have the President and C.E.O. of the UNCF Washtenaw County Chapter speak at the ball. Komposit DJ "The Specialist" provided entertainment. The event was cosponsored by: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Beta Pi and Beta Omega chapters, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), La Voz Latina.
Lambda Theta Alpha and Lambda Theta Phi hosted a bucket drive on the Diag on February 19, 2001. All proceeds were donated to the Red Cross El Salvador Earthquake Relief Fund. El Salvador was the victim of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on January 13 and a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on February 13. The earthquakes triggered numerous landslides that killed well over 700 people and injured more than 2,000 leaving the country in a state of disaster.
On March 30, 2001, the Latino Task Force (LTF) hosted the first Latino Recognition Gala. This was an end-of-the-year celebration recognizing the efforts of our community. There was an awards presentation and a multimedia presentation of the countless programs and events held by the different Latino student organizations. Lambda Theta Alpha was proud to receive an Award of Appreciation from LTF.
Spring Welcome Day is the University's largest single day visitation program for students of color and their families to find out more about the University of Michigan campus through a combination of faculty lectures, tours, and informal question and answer sessions with faculty and enrolled students. Lambda Theta Alpha had a table at this annual event. The students and their parents had the opportunity to learn about the various student groups on campus.
The Ann Arbor Pow Wow is recognized as one of the top Native American celebrations in North America. Beta Omicron Chapter was happy to volunteer at this event that featured over 1,000 of North America's greatest champion singers and dancers to celebrate the rich Native American culture and heritage.
Goodness Day is a day dedicated to bringing out a smile in people and
promoting happiness during finals time when many students suffer from
stress and anxiety. More than 25 student organizations set up tables
throughout Central and North campuses, handing out metal buttons and
"Random Acts of Kindness" cards to students passing by.
In addition to passing out kindness cards & buttons, Lambda Theta Alpha
used our table on the Diag to educate people about the importance of
organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation. We gave out informational
pamphlets as well as pencils, candy, and "Save a Life" organ donation
bumper stickers.
Feminist Fair is an annual event sponsored by the Undergraduate Women's Studies Association that promotes female empowerment. Lambda Theta Alpha showed our support by having a table on the Diag on April 12, 2001.
La Celebración Latina is a celebratory program that highlights Latino graduates at the University of Michigan. It is an opportunity for Latino graduates, their families, and the University community to recognize their achievements as Latino students. Sisters of Lambda Theta Alpha have participated in this special program in various ways such as serving on the planning committee, volunteering at the event, contributing financially, and walking in the ceremony.
Sisters of Lambda Theta Alpha from UofM, EMU, and WSU marched alongside their float in the Cinco de Mayo parade in Detroit on May 6, 2001. Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. The "Batalla de Puebla" came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.
The Michigan chapters of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. and Lambda Theta Phi Fraternidad Latina, Inc. teamed up to host a college information session for the youth at Clark Park in Southwest Detroit on June 30, 2001. The children received information about college admissions, financial aid, and college life. The student panel was preceded by a BBQ and softball and soccer games.
The Black Greek Association, The Interfraternity Council, The Panhellenic Association and The Multicultural Greek Council joined forces to assist the University with "Move-In Makers 2001" on August 30, 2001 by helping new students and their parents move their belongings into the residence halls.
Lambda Theta Alpha volunteered from July 23-25, 2001 at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions office to call admitted Latino freshmen and welcome them to the University as well as answer any questions they may have. Questions varied from academics, involvement in student organizations, residence halls, and general questions about our experiences at UofM.
Sisters of Lambda Theta Alpha have volunteered at LWI activities since the establishment of our chapter at the University. This year, LWI activities consisted of the A.L.M.A. Program, Meet & Greet, and Welcome Back Cookout.
The A.L.M.A (Assisting Latinos to Maximize Achievement) program, which was held from August 26-29, 2001, allowed incoming freshmen to get acquainted with the University and the resources available to them. Freshmen attended workshops, student panels, and social activities to get to know one another.
The Meet & Greet was held from August 28-30, 2001. This program has current Latino students go to the residence halls during move-in and personally welcome incoming Latinos students and their families. The new students are given a gift and information about upcoming events.
The Latino Welcome Back Cookout, which was held on September 9, 2001, was a fun event that gave students the opportunity to get to know one another. There were games, good food, music, and information about various Latino organizations on campus.
Programs such as these can only be pulled off if the community puts forth an effort to make them a huge success. For more information about the Latino Welcome Initiative, contact Donney Moroney (Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs) at dmoroney@umich.edu.
Members of the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) raised money at a bucket drive on the Diag for the September 11th Disaster Relief Fund to give to the American Red Cross. The bucket drive was a big success. Thank you to all that contributed!
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 - October 15, Lambda Theta Alpha sponsored a series of speakers to celebrate and inform others about our rich culture.
On September 17, Antonia Villarruel PhD, a professor from the UofM School of Nursing, presented "HIV: Latinas' Perspective on Culture, Health, and Sexuality."
On October 8, Silvia Pedraza, a professor from the UofM Department of Sociology, presented "Ethnic Identity: Developing a Latino/a pan-Ethnic Identity."
Another Hispanic Heritage Month event sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha was a Movie Night where we showed the movie "Como Agua Para Chocolate."
Lambda Theta Alpha was a co-sponsor of the Muslim Student Association and the School of Social Work's program to inform students about Islam and the hijab (the Islamic headscarf) worn by Muslim women on September 27, 2001. Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Muslim women who wear the hijab have been targets of physical and verbal assault. As a gesture of solidarity, American non-Muslim women volunteered to wear either the hijab or white ribbons for one day on September 28, 2001. The goal of this activiy is to diffuse the racist backlash against Muslim women and to powerfully demonstrate that Islam and Americanness are not mutually exclusive.
"Do we as women of color with the college community have a responsibility to uplift and empower women of color outside the campus environment?"
This was the question brought up by the University of Michigan National Council of Negro Women. Sisters from Lambda Theta Alpha along with alpha Kappa Delta Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Sister 2 Sister, Women of Color Symposium, Zeta Phi Beta, and Zeta Sigma Chi formed the panel that discussed this question in a lively dialogue on October 29, 2001.
Lambda Theta Alpha along with the nine other organizations that make up the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) collected non-perishable food items during the month of October 2001 to donate to the Hunger Coalition in Ann Arbor for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Lambda Theta Alpha participated in the Indian American Students Association (IASA) annual "Gandhi Day of Service" on October 6, 2001. This day was set aside to celebrate the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi by giving our time to those in need. We performed various chores for others such as staining windows at the Chinmaya Mission and cleaning the Huron River area.
The University of Michigan Lupus Foundation sponsored Lupus Week 2001 from October 1-7. Various activities such as a panel discussion, support group potluck, quilt making session, candle light vigil, fundraising dance, Lupus walk, and a ceremony and recognition banquet were planned. Lambda Theta Alpha was happy to support these activities to raise Lupus awareness on campus. We also received an appreciation award from the UofM Lupus Foundation at their banquet for our continued support of Lupus Awareness.
Lambda Theta Alpha and Sigma Lambda Gamma sponsored the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) to facilitate a discussion about dating/domestic violence. SAPAC volunteers talked about the prevalence of acquaintance rape, issues of consent and coercion, and identifying myths about rape. The workshop addressed what to do if it happens and how to help a friend in need, as well as prevention strategies.
La Voz Latina bussed over 30 high school students from Chicago, Detroit, and Dowagiac, MI to the University of Michigan campus for the weekend of November 16-18, 2001. These students were able get a taste college life during their weekend stay with their host. While here, the students attended various workshops on college admissions, financial aid, and student life and took tours of the campus. Sisters of LTA volunteered throughout the weekend by housing students, facilitating workshops, and assisting with the program.
The Salvation Army “Angel Tree” program gave the Ann Arbor community the opportunity to provide anonymous Christmas gifts to underprivileged children and adults. Lambda Theta Alpha “adopted” five children age infant to 17 years, male and female, and bought them items on their Christmas Wish List. We were able to provide them with items such as clothes, toys, and daily necessities. The Salvation Army distributed the gifts to families in our community along with a Christmas food basket.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, La Voz and Lambda Theta Alpha sponsored a showing and discussion of the HBO documentary "Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S.” on October 5, 2000. The documentary features stories about students, urban and rural culture, immigration, farm workers, musicians, literature, poetry, art, U.S. Latino traditions and many more aspects of Latino life in the U.S.
In an effort to increase scholarly excellence among the Latino community at UofM, Lambda Theta Alpha held an academic workshop at the beginning of the winter semester. On January 16, 2001, Alicia Ortez from the Comprehensive Studies Program offered tips to improve our study skills, time management skills, and stress relief tips.
On January 18, 2001, Guadalupe Lara, MSW, a nationally recognized social worker and expert in minority health care issues, spoke to a packed crowd about her experiences working in the health care field and the importance of cultural sensitivity in health care. This event was part of Beta Omicron’s Founder’s Week as well as an MLK Day 2001 event. The event was sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI).
On September 17, 2001, Lambda Theta Alpha and the UofM Nursing School's Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsored a Hispanic Heritage Month event entitled “HIV: Latinas’ Perspective on Culture, Health, and Sexuality.” Our keynote speaker was Antonia Villarruel PhD, RN, FAAN. Dr. Villarruel is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing. She presented an interactive approach to teach about HIV and HIV prevention among Latinas.
Silvia Pedraza, a professor from the UofM Department of Sociology, spoke about Latino/a identity in the U.S. in a lecture entitled “Ethnic Identity: Developing a Latino/a pan-Ethnic Identity.” This event, held on October 8, 2001 was part of Lambda Theta Alpha’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
As part of its Founder's Week of activities, sisters of LTA hosted a high school visit for male and female students from Southwest Detroit. The students received information about admissions, financial aid, and college life as well as tours of Central Campus, the Law School, the Engineering School, and the Architecture School. Afterward, we all had dinner at Cottage Inn.
Every year, LTA participates in Project Serve's MLK Day of Service in which participants volunteer at various sites around the Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Detroit area performing. For MLK Day of Service 2002, sisters volunteered at the Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, MI. We helped them clean their basement and organize their medical supplies.