Washington, DC and Chicago, IL, January 16, 2007

For many it was a day off work and school, but for members of SIA's Gamma Alpha (GA) Graduate/Alumnae Chapter in Washington D.C. and our Iota Chapter and Gamma Beta Graduate/Alumnae Chapter (GB) in Chicago, it was a day to give back.

On January 15, 2007, SIA joined City Year Washington, D.C., AOL, Blank Rome and President Bush to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of service with a "day on, not a day off." The momentous event took place at Cardozo High School (D.C.) where members of the GA Chapter participated in revitalizing the school. The event started with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and DC Council Member Mary Cheh motivating the volunteers. GA members painted murals of historical figures, landmarks and sporting events. While the GA members were painting their baseball mural, President Bush took the time to personally thank them for making the day of service as Mrs. King wanted. "It was truly an honor and a privilege to meet President Bush and have him thank us for volunteering today" said Rosanna Ortiz, GA's Financial Administrator.

SIA also teamed up with Chicago Cares, Target, Chicago Sun Times, Accenture, Citibank, DaimlerChrysler, Financial Services, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Enterprise, Information Resources, Inc., OfficeMax, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Siemens, USG Corporation, Starbucks and the Anti Defamation League for the Celebration of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is the largest day of its kind in Chicago to celebrate Dr. King. It was a day to reflect on Dr. King’s messages of service and activism – and put those messages into action. The Celebration of Service was a tremendous success on multiple levels. Of course, what is most important is that we honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by joining others in mobilizing over 10,000 hours of service to our community.

This year members of the Iota and Gamma Beta Chapters of SIA worked with Racine Apartments, a Chicago Housing Authority building for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Volunteers and residents engaged in social activities, luncheon and a raffle, all centered around the theme of a Senior Dance. All activities for the day were to decrease isolation for residents through intergenerational interaction, while also encouraging them to relive some of their favorite memories with volunteers.

Our very own National President, Ivone De Jesus serves as Project Site Manager for this event. PSM’s are selected based on their past volunteer work with Chicago Cares. “It was an honor to work with Chicago Cares at this level and heartwarming to have the opportunity to get to know these residents on a personal level and knowing we have made an impact on their lives by the hugs we received” said Ms. De Jesus. Event participants also had the opportunity to participate in interactive workshops led by the Anti-Defamation League. These workshops explored differences, discrimination and diversity in Chicago and throughout the world.

Gamma Alpha and President Bush

About Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. (SIA): SIA was founded in New York on September 29, 1990 by thirteen Latina women with the purpose of creating an organization that would help their communities, unite women, promote the Latino culture and uphold a set of distinct goals. Our dedication to scholarship, service and professional development within the Latino community has grown beyond New York, with chapters in several states including: New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland and Virginia. We are more than a sorority; we are a family and network of professional, strong and dedicated women leaders. We are also a 501(c)7 tax-exempt organization and we work in conjunction with the Solidaridad Inspiracion Amistad Community Foundation, Inc.- a 501(c)3 Community Foundation committed to scholarship, service and professional development within Latino communities nationally. Together, we administer a national scholarship fund for incoming college freshmen who demonstrate academic merit, service to communities in need and exemplary leadership capabilities. For more information, please visit www.hermandad-sia.org.

About City Year Washington, DC: City Year Washington, DC's service strategy seeks to improve the academic, health, and life success of DC children in-need. Our service programming consists of five team-based initiatives that, together, seek to ensure that DC children successfully make the transition from childhood to being a healthy and successful young adult. City Year Washington, DC corps members provide critically needed services, including literacy tutoring, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention education, and youth leadership development. Corps members also inspire an ethic of service in children and adults by leading them in transformative community service projects. Click on the links below to learn how City Year is addressing critical needs in the DC community through each of our five team-based service initiatives.

About Chicago Cares: Founded in 1991, Chicago Cares, a not for profit 501(c) (3) organization, is a leader in volunteerism. Chicago Cares provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to improve the Chicago community through creative, structured group volunteer programs designed to address Chicago's most pressing needs. Chicago Cares develops more than 120 hands-on group volunteer projects each month serving children, adults, seniors, the environment, the hungry and homeless and much more. Our innovative format gives people the opportunity to volunteer on a flexible basis and has attracted thousands of active year-round volunteers.

Contact:
Suheil Pimentel-Soto, Vice President of Marketing
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.
communication@hermandad-sia.org
www.hermandad-sia.org