Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority is an organization which prides itself on its sense of commitment to cultural diversity and strong bonds of sisterhood. However, our other primary focus is to offer our service to the community. Community and culture is largely what has made us the strong and independent women we are today. It is for these reasons that we want to reciprocate and give back to the communities around us. Sisters participate in individual community service events of their choice, as well as those which we support as a whole and unified organization. Each respective school has also designated at least one local non-profit organization as their philanthropic cause.

The sisters of the Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority at Northeastern University take great pride in the various services they perform in the community. For the past three years, Kappas have been helping the Wang YMCA in Boston’s local Chinatown community wrap gifts for their annual Christmas party. Sisters have volunteered for various local non-profit organizations in the surrounding community, including Cradles to Crayons*, a group that strives to provide needy children with not only warm clothing for the winter, but also books, toys, and school supplies; and Rosie’s Place*, a women’s shelter providing a haven for domestically-abused women and their children. In addition, our chapter’s sisters also enjoy getting involved in services for our campus as well. Kappas have been found helping the new freshmen and their families move into their dorms during the first week of school. We also get involved in Northeastern’s largest service event of the year, NU Service Day.

*For more information on the services provided by Cradles to Crayons and Rosie’s place, you visit their website at:

www.cradlestocrayons.org

www.rosies.org

Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority is a growing Asian American interest sorority. While we celebrate all the Asian countries prospering in America, we also recognize the issues faced by Asian American women. Despite the independent and bountiful state of this country, our people are slipping through the socio-economic cracks of our government. Our national philanthropy is about empowering Asian American women by helping them overcome issues from domestic violence, hate crimes, economic injustice, to immigration rights. Thenational organization, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, works on a grassroots level for social and economic justice and the political empowerment of Asian and Pacific American women and girls. Through national campaigns including legislation reform, media attention, and grassroots movements, they are working on 6 platforms including civil rights, economic justice, educational access, ending violence against women, health, and immigrant and refugee rights. Kappa Phi Lambda pledges to donate to this national organization which benefits Asian American women. Our goal is to empower women living in poverty, fear, and illness. For further information about NAPAWF, please visit their website at www.napawf.org.

Since its founding in 2002, the sisters at Xi Chapter in Boston have been raising funds to support the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK). ATASK is New England’s only multilingual emergency shelter and provides advocacy services, education programs, and outreach for Asian domestic violence survivors. For more information on ATASK, you can visit their website at: www.atask.org.

Other organizations that we have helped to support include: the American Diabetes Association, the Arthritis Foundation, and the March of Dimes foundation.

Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority strives to emphasize the importance of cultural diversity -- not only within our own organization, but also to the universities at which we exist, and outside the community. While we do classify ourselves as a Pan-Asian interest sorority, by no means do we limit membership to those of only Asian descent. We have sisters from very diverse backgrounds, including French, Korean, Chinese, Latino, Thai, Filipino, Indonesian, and Japanese. Diversity is what helps broaden the horizons of thinking. It is for this reason that we always welcome young women of interest from all ethnic backgrounds. Through various workshops and events, Kappa Phi Lambda continuously tries to educate our members, schools, and communities about Asian culture.

Xi chapter sisters are constantly finding new ways to promote Asian-American awareness on Northeastern’s diverse campus. In the past, our chapter has hosted events presenting the various delicacies of our rich backgrounds to the student body. In Spring 2009, we hosted an calligraphy workshop where students learned to history of the art of Chinese calligraphy and were able to obtain hands-on practice using the tools of the trade. This past spring semester also served as the first time Northeastern hosted its Asian-American heritage week. In collaboration with Barkada, a student group dedicated to spreading awareness of the Philipino heritage, and the brothers of Pi Delta Psi Fraternity, our chapter sisters were able to bring Emily Lawson, a writer, spoken word artist, and professor from the University of Michigan to Northeastern.

In addition, one of our very own sisters, Sarah Artha, was one of the first co-chairs to organize the University’s annual Asian night, entitled Celebrasian. Kappas have performed in Celebrasian ever since its first show in 2007. Lastly, Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority is one of the founding members, as well as the oldest member, of the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), which was formed in 2009. The MGC has served to unify the fraternities and sororities on campus who share the same mission of advocating for cultural awareness.