IMMIGRANTS' CLUB EVOLVES INTO CHARITY : UNIDAS EXTENDS HELPING HAND TO WOMEN IN NEED.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

Silvia Davis had been in Southern California for barely a year when she joined Unidas, a group of Latin American women, recent immigrants who met once a month for lunch.

That was 12 years ago. Now the group claims 150 members who hail from Simi Valley to Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley. The nonprofit agency supports a variety of causes, from helping victims of domestic violence to promoting literacy and children's health programs.

``We want to help women do whatever they want to do,'' said Davis, the group's president. ``Helping women helps everybody, their children and families.''

Now the group is preparing to hold a tea and fashion show June 1 to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Service Center, which provides emergency food, counseling and case management to the poor.

The center, on San Fernando Road, needs a water fountain, computers, printers, office partitions and a door to protect its food pantry, according to director Lupe Lopez.

``We have needs here,'' Lopez said. ``I gave them a laundry list of things we need.''

Unidas, which means ``united'' in English, already has donated $700 to the center, which has earmarked the funds to provide shelter for battered women, fill emergency medical prescriptions and pay for food and transportation.

``Their contributions are very important,'' said Lopez, also a Unidas member. ``They help lots of people. These ladies do a lot of very good things in the community.''

Last month, the group began teaching newly arrived foreigners how to speak English and how to survive in their new home.

Within the next few years, the women hope to find a home where they can meet regularly and provide emergency food, group therapy and counseling for those who need it. They now meet in restaurants, members' homes or in banquet halls.

``That's our immediate goal,'' Davis said. ``To have one day our own home so we can really expand.''

And while the group has grown tremendously since its establishment in 1982, it remains true to its objective: to help women.

Each month, the groups meets for lunch to discuss different topics, including AIDS, menopause and the environment.

``We provide a support group for women who live in this country and have left their families and support groups,'' said Davis, an Argentine native. ``When you move from one city to another, you lose your family.''

The tea and fashion show will be held at noon, June 1 at the Valencia Country Club, 27330 N. Tourney Road in Valencia. Tickets are $18 for members and $25 for guests. For more information, call [phone].