Sigma Lambda Gamma hosted “Cooking With Culture” as part of its Gamma Gives Back week. The IU chapter has been participating in philanthropic events all week as part of the Thanksgiving season, President Jeannette Huesca said.
Nationally, the sorority is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a philanthropic campaign, “Drive to 25,” to continue empowering women and spread cultural awareness, according to the group’s website.
Through April 9, 2015, chapters across the country can compete for national recognition through their participation in “Drive to 25” events.
Each chapter receives points for different philanthropic activities with the goal to reach 2,500 points by April.
“The overall sense is that it’s a way to get us all together as a sorority,” Huesca said. “Also help others see the multicultural aspect of our sorority and the things we are able to do on our campus and in our ?community.”
With only four members in the chapter, it can be difficult to raise awareness of Sigma Lambda Gamma’s vision, Huesca said. The cultural potluck Friday was an attempt on behalf of Sigma Lambda Gamma to reach out to fellow Multicultural Greek Council members and the IU community.
As part of the “Drive to 25” campaign, Sigma Lambda Gamma chapters across the United States submitted three recipes representing various cultures to be compiled into a cultural cookbook. The cookbook represents 100 different ?ethnicities, Vice President Kerri Reese said.
IU’s chapter submitted a dessert dish of Oreo pudding, which was featured at their potluck. Other dishes included Cambodian pad thai and Mexican milk drink las medias de seda, or “The Silk Stockings.”
The Cooking with Culture event was the chapter’s first fundraising event for the national cookbook. Students can purchase an electronic copy of the cookbook for $4 by contacting any of the four members of Sigma Lambda Gamma or through their social media sites.
The IU chapter has also participated in Sigma Lambda Gamma’s Educating to Empower event by hosting a book drive on campus. Textbooks that are donated will support Sigma Lambda Gamma’s mission to promote literacy in other countries, Vice President of Marketing Darian Tanner said.
All donated books will be resold, re-purposed or recycled through Better World Books, according to the Sigma Lambda Gamma website.
The book drive will also function as a fundraiser as Better World Books will donate $1 back to the chapter for every acceptable book donated. Five percent of the net profits generated from the book donations will also be used to fund the Sigma Lambda Gamma Education Foundation, according to the group’s website.
Gamma Gives Back week continued with the sorority sisters doing road clean up after this weekend’s football tailgate. Through the Adopt-a-Road program, the sorority sisters clean up 17th Street and Fee Lane every three to four months, Huesca said.
