Our National Initiatives
Each year, Sigma Alpha Lambda undertakes two main national initiatives which are coordinated by the National Office in conjunction with the local chapters. SAL offers initiatives and benefits for our members both nationally and locally. BetterHelp and Song for Charlie are ways students can be involved from any location. Each fall, those on campuses can join in to fight hunger with SAL’s Food Fight Against Hunger. In the spring, the students focus on participating in The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. SAL also encourages participation from all chapters on other national initiatives like 9/11 Memorial Flag Day and MLK Day of Service.
BETTER HELP
Members now have access to convenient and professional therapy online. BetterHelp is the leading online therapy platform with over 25,000 therapists across the U.S., services in 50+ languages, and support in over 200 countries. The partnership we have arranged will give everyone one month of free therapy (up to 4 live sessions) with a therapist that is specifically assigned to your individual preferences. You can communicate with your therapist via phone, video and live chat, plus you can message your therapist whenever you’d like. Current SAL members received an email with an invitation to join. If you are a new member and would like more information on this benefit, please email [email protected].
SONG FOR CHARLIE
Song for Charlie is a national family-run, nonprofit charity that encourages young people to choose healthy coping strategies over self-medication. They empower students to learn and share knowledge by providing research tools and promoting peer-to-peer learning programs. Sigma Alpha Lambda is committed to partnering and supporting the mission of Song for Charlie. We urge you to sign the pledge linked below that you won’t take random pills, you will spread the word about the dangers of self-medicating, you will find alternatives to cope with stress and pain, and you will be available to help others. In signing, you help Song for Charlie create a future in which the casual use of prescription pills is considered socially unacceptable, and in which sharing random pills is uncool.
FOOD FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER:
Food Fight Against Hunger is SAL’s fall service initiative. This service event brings together chapters from every region of the U.S. with a spirited but friendly competition where the goal is to collect the most non-perishable food items and donations for local food banks. This competition is based on chapter size; small, medium, and large chapters, as well as a fundraising option for those chapters who decide to donate money directly to their food bank. Prizes include a celebration for the winning chapters and a donation made to their favorite non-profit charity on behalf of SAL. To find the food bank nearest to you, click on www.feedingamerica.org.
RELAY FOR LIFE:
As a National Youth Affiliate of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Relay for Life is the centerpiece of SAL’s spring semester. Every spring, multiple chapters join together to fight cancer through this national fundraiser. Chapters are encouraged to create a team for their local Relay For Life, help set up, fundraise for the event, or simply help in any way possible. As a National Youth Affiliate, SAL raised $100,000 in five years and are on our way to raising another $100,000!
9/11 MEMORIAL FLAG DAY:
Based on the creativity and initiative of a former Chapter President, Sigma Alpha Lambda now sponsors the 9/11 Memorial national initiative. For this event, chapters all over the country receive American flags from the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Office to place at a prominent location on campus. The flags are a reminder to the members and the entire student body of the events that took place on September 11, 2001, as well as those who have fought for our country’s freedom in the years since that time.
MLK DAY OF SERVICE:
The MLK Day of Service, on the third Monday of January, calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together and provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. Sigma Alpha Lambda members and chapters participate across the country to answer that call and participate in various MLK Day local service projects and find meaningful ways to impact the lives of others on this milestone federal holiday. Members can find these opportunities near them by utilizing the MLK Day of Service website and its project locator.