Zeta Phi Beta began its 2010 Philanthropy Week on Sunday by participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The walk was one of eight service events Zeta Phi Beta has planned for “Zeta Week 2K10: Thank Me Later.”

This is the first time Zeta Phi Beta’s philanthropy week has been held during the fall.

“‘Thank Me Later’ means that all of our events will be service-oriented and will focus on giving to the community now, and receiving pay back later,” Secretary Antaniece Sills said. “We got the idea from the name of Drake’s album. We just took the name and decided to put some meaning behind it.”

On Monday night, the women of Zeta Phi Beta held a women’s-only fitness seminar called, “A Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit.” The program was sponsored by Z-HOPE: Zetas Helping Other People Excel, a national service program.

The purpose of the seminar was to tackle issues concerning increasing obesity among African American women, Sills said. A dietician and MU professor spoke about eating healthy on a budget and, afterwards, attendees were given an hour of yoga instruction.

“Our goal was to reach out to women and let them know how to eat healthy, how to refrain from McDonald’s,” Sills said.

Zeta Phi Beta will participate in a Neighborhood Clean-Up on Tuesday. The sorority will focus on picking up trash and inspiring the residents of an impoverished area of Columbia to improve the image of their community, President Alicia Smith Jr. said.

“We chose the area because we thought it needed the most help,” Sills said. “The route also has the most kids and we want to interact with the kids of the neighborhood while cleaning up.”

Later that night, Zeta Phi Beta will be teaming up with the Anointed Ladies of Alpha Theta Omega Christian Sorority, Inc. to host a “Sleep-out for the Homeless.”

Throughout the night, participants will perform six to nine informative dialogues with discussions held afterwards.

“The dialogues will serve as entertainment, but we also want to defy misconceptions about the homeless,” Smith said. “We want people to know that homelessness is not because of laziness.”

The Sleep-out for the Homeless will mark the first collaboration between Zeta Phi Beta and Alpha Theta Omega.

“As college students, sometimes we don’t set our minds to bigger issues,” Lewis said. “This event is a step towards being globally aware. We join a lot of different causes and sometimes take advantage of the fact that we have somewhere to sleep at night.”

On Wednesday, Zeta Phi Beta will hold an informational meeting for women who are interested in getting involved with the sorority. Business casual attire is required.

Thursday’s event, “Back to the Blu Top,” is in dedication to Zeta Phi Beta’s little sister Taji. The women of Zeta Phi Beta met Taji through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Sills said. There will be hotdogs and hamburgers, as well as childhood games such as hopscotch and sidewalk jacks for entertainment.

To mark the end of the week on Saturday, Zeta Phi Beta is hosting a car wash. All proceeds from “Blu Sudz” will go to the sorority.