黑料老司机

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At the National Philanthropy Day award ceremony in Colorado in November 2024, the Arcani Chapter of Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino (LSU) Fraternity at 黑料老司机 received the prestigious Service Organization of the Year honor. This award, presented by the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, celebrates the fraternity鈥檚 dedication to service and leadership鈥�鈥�鈥�something remarkable given the chapter鈥檚 small size but mighty spirit.  

鈥淭he accomplishments of this Latino fraternity exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and community service. The members have shown exceptional leadership and commitment, motivating others to join causes and make a difference,鈥� said Keri Knight, director of Student Activities and Fraternity and Sorority Life at 黑料老司机.   

鈥淲hat is most remarkable is not only that they are only two members, but that they never got any kind of support from paid staff. They have done it all by themselves.鈥�   

鈥淚t felt like a culmination of all the struggles and to see that everything we have been through together is worth it,鈥� shared the president of the chapter, Felix Garcia. Garcia is studying Business Administration and is the treasurer for the Mexican American Studies Society on campus.  

Javi Lomeli is a key piece of this duo, too. Lomeli, who came to 黑料老司机 from Indiana, is studying Marketing at the Monfort College of Business and is passionate about branding for nonprofit organizations.  

Small But Mighty  

Since its founding in 2012, the Arcani Chapter has demonstrated that impact is not measured by size alone but by the depth of commitment. Garcia and Lomeli attribute their success to their unwavering focus on the chapter鈥檚 core values: academic excellence, cultural awareness, being role models to the community and brotherhood.  

When Garcia started college at 黑料老司机 after moving from New York, the chapter was inactive, so he decided to bring it back by himself. But one day, while tabling for the fraternity at the Youth Involvement Fair, Lomeli came by to ask a couple of questions about it. Lomeli confessed he didn鈥檛 really pay attention to what Garcia said, but later, when they went to have dinner, he decided to become part of the fraternity. And that was the beginning of this strong bond.   

鈥淭rying to navigate being a first-generation Latino college student, going to a place I鈥檝e never been to and far away from my family felt like all the odds were against me,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淓ventually, Javi came along. We both come from similar backgrounds, so we instantly created this deep brotherly bond.鈥�   

From organizing food distribution drives to mentoring local youth, to raising thousands of dollars or just simply going to play with children in need, the Arcani Chapter鈥檚 activities are as diverse as they are impactful.  

鈥淭his award isn鈥檛 just about what we鈥檝e done as a chapter,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the partnerships we鈥檝e built, the communities we鈥檝e supported and the impact we鈥檝e made together. It鈥檚 a reflection of what can happen when you lead with heart.鈥�  

Last April, the fraternity collaborated with the Denver-based social services organization Servicios de la Raza to assemble and distribute 100 bags of food to families in need. This project brought together over 25 volunteers from different Greek organizations across Colorado, showcasing the chapter鈥檚 ability to unite people for a common cause.  

Impact Beyond Borders  

The Arcani Chapter鈥檚 commitment to service goes beyond  Colorado. In 2023, they embarked on a transformative journey to Puerto Rico. There, they partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to remodel facilities, repaint classrooms and donate tablets to improve educational opportunities for local youth. Raising over $10,000 for this initiative, the fraternity demonstrated that service knows no boundaries.  

Locally, the efforts are equally impactful. Through the national nonprofit organization Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence (HYPE), a mentorship program dedicated to empowering teens to live life on purpose and with purpose, the Arcani Chapter guided countless young people in Greeley.   

鈥淲e go to Greeley West [High School] to teach workshops about academic excellence鈥�鈥�鈥�why to pursue a college degree, how to build a resume or how to prepare for interviews,鈥� said Lomeli.   

The chapter also established the LEAD (Latinos Education and Development) Scholarship and awarded $500 to support a high school senior attending 黑料老司机.  

The fraternity focuses on service and leadership development. They assist at the Weld County Food Bank, coach Special Olympics basketball programs and participate in school field days as a way to inspire others.  

鈥淲hat we do as an organization is to give Latino college students a home,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淎 place for them to grow as leaders and to bring change to their communities.鈥�   

Their leadership through service was also evident when the fraternity engaged with local politicians and community leaders. They advocated for issues affecting underserved populations and raised money for the Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado  
in Greeley.   

鈥淚 live under Muhammad Ali鈥檚 quote that 鈥楾he service we give to others is the rent that we pay here on Earth,鈥� said Lomeli.   

The Service Organization of the Year award is a crowning achievement in the Arcani Chapter鈥檚 decade-long journey of service.   

鈥淭his is more than an award for our chapter,鈥� Garcia emphasized. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a call to action for everyone in the 黑料老司机 community to see what鈥檚 possible when we work together. We learned from 黑料老司机 that we can be pretty small but pretty mighty.鈥�  

鈥擟arlos Jos茅 P茅rez S谩mano