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Program Overview
General Information
Soroptimist International of the America’s Major Project
Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards
The Women’s Opportunity Awards program was established in 1972 to assist women with primary financial responsibility for their families to obtain the skills training and education necessary to improve their employment status and standard of living for themselves and their family. During the 2006-2007 club year, more than US $1 million in club, region, and federation funds were awarded to more than 1,000 women in SIA’s 19 member countries and territories. The women receiving these financial awards may use them for any costs associated with their educational efforts, including tuition, books, child care, and transportation.
Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards resources
SIA Projects that Benefit Women and Girls
Soroptimists STOP Trafficking
Soroptimist launched a new awareness project addressing the sexual slavery of women and girls with a special event on Sunday December 2, 2007, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. In the United States, the program launched on Friday, January 11, 2008, the first National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness. Clubs participated by distributing flyers on the launch days that focused on the message: Someone in this transportation center may be here against her will. The project also provides clubs with cards to hand out in the community and public awareness tools to raise awareness through the media.
Soroptimists STOP Trafficking resources
Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence
This campaign is an ongoing effort to raise awareness about a little addressed domestic violence issue: domestic violence as a workplace concern. The federation provides information and materials for clubs to use to participate in the program. The materials include copy-ready hotline cards with the recommendation that clubs distribute them in women’s rest rooms in a workplace setting. The campaign takes place on November 25th, the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women. SIA also offers Domestic Violence Workplace Guidelines, containing information and instructions for members and clubs to implement domestic violence policies in their workplaces.
Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence resources
Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls
The Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls are awards given to Soroptimist clubs to start or continue projects in their communities that improve the lives of women or girls, in accordance with the mission of SIA. This
year $175,000 in funds are available. The deadline for proposals is March 19, 2009.
Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls resources
Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Fund
This fund helps support relief work that benefits women and girls in areas affected by natural disasters and acts of war. It also provides clubs and regions with grants up to $20,000 to assist women who are victims of disasters in their local communities.
Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Fund resources
Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award
The Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award is a recognition program for young women ages 14-17 engaged in volunteer action within their communities or schools. The award is given to young women whose activities make the community and world a better place.
Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award resources
Soroptimist Making a Difference for Women Award
This program honors a woman who has worked to improve the lives of women and girls through her professional or volunteer work. The program begins at the local-level where clubs recognize a woman in their community. Clubs submit their entry to the region-level where the region selects a woman to honor at the region conference. At the federation-level one woman is selected to receive a $5,000 donation to her favorite charitable organization.
Soroptimist Making a Difference for Women Award resources
Soroptimist Teen Dating Violence Bookmark
The teenage years are an exhilarating time for adolescents as they explore what it means to be in romantic relationships. Unfortunately, a pattern of relationship abuse sometimes develops casting a shadow over the enticing glow of young love. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to dating violence because they don’t always have a clear understanding of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. To help raise awareness among teenagers about teen dating violence, Soroptimist has created the Soroptimist Teen Dating Violence Bookmark. Clubs can personalize the bookmarks, print as many as needed and distribute them in schools and/or at other teen-centered locations.
Soroptimist Teen Dating Violence Bookmark resources
Soroptimist Club Matching Project
Throughout SIA, members address a variety of unique issues facing the women and girls of their communities; for women and girls have different needs and challenges depending on where they live. The Soroptimist Club Matching Project will link two clubs together—a club that needs help with a project and a club that would like to supply the help. There are many times clubs consider giving time and resources to help women in other countries but cannot always be sure how the donations are spent. This project allows Soroptimist clubs to work together to confront the needs of women and girls in countries far away from their own.
Soroptimist Club Matching Project resources
Club Recognition Project
Soroptimists Celebrating Success!
Established in 1993 at the Soroptimists Celebrating Success! meeting in Dallas, Texas, this annual awards program recognizes successful club projects that improve the lives of women and girls and that promote Soroptimist as an organization with that mission. Categories encompass the program-related objectives of the SIA Strategic Plan. Semi-finalist entries are judged by SIA’s Board of Directors who selects finalists demonstrating innovation and success. Entries are due to headquarters by January 24, 2008.
Soroptimists Celebrating Success! resources
More program resources
Soroptimist International Projects
For more information about all SI projects, visit the SI website at www.soroptimistinternational.org.
Project SIerra: A Family and a Future Project SIerra partners Soroptimist International with Hope and Homes for Children to transform the lives of some of the most deprived women and children in Sierra Leone by providing support to young mothers, assisting children living on the streets and working to assist the most vulnerable families in the country. For more information, visit the Project SIerra website at www.projectSIerra.org.
December 10th Appeal Every year, the Soroptimist International president appeals to all Soroptimists to make a small sacrifice and donate funds saved to a specially designated project that will assist women. The 2008 December 10th Appeal, Restoring Dignity: Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund, partners with the Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to provide ongoing medical care and training skills to women with fistulas that cannot be completely cured. More information is available on the SI web site at www.soroptimistinternational.org. Donations, earmarked for the appeal, can be sent to SIA headquarters.
Soroptimist International Projects resources
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