FUNDS PROVIDE FOOD, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND OTHER IMMEDIATE NECESSITIES

December 15, 2008
Contact: Kamali Brooks, Public Relations Manager
215-893-9000 x130, kamali@soroptimist.org 

Philadelphia, Pa.—Soroptimist International of the Americas, an international volunteer organization of business and professional women dedicated to improving the lives of women and girl, presented a $10,000 disaster recovery grant to its club in Blumenau, Brazil, to help meet the needs of girls and their families who were displaced by recent floods. With the grant, Blumenau Leste Soroptimists will provide food, medical supplies and other immediate necessities to the affected people.

Devastating landslides displaced 42,000 people, leaving 160,000 families in southern Brazil without shelter, food, water or electricity. Triggered by torrential floods, most of the landslides occurred in Bluemenau City, a low-lying community. For the past six years, Soroptimist International of Blumenau Leste has worked in Bluemenau City to provide a group of 25 girls with community leadership and a self-sustaining life skills at the Herman Hamann Basic Education School. The flood directly affected each girl and her family as their homes were destroyed. The club will work with the school to provide these girls and their families with needed food and shelter. Says club President Irmgard Hellmann, “Now is the time to save lives, rescue the homeless and provide the ones that lost everything with a bit of comfort.”

Soroptimist has long been concerned about the disproportionate effects of disasters on women and girls. In addition to providing the Disaster Recovery Grants, Soroptimist recently funded a research study conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), titled “Women in the Wake of the Storm: Examining the Post-Katrina Realities of the Women of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast,” which is available at: <http://www.soroptimist.org/whatwedo/programs.html#DisasterReliefFund>. The study found that women faced and continue to confront special challenges to their health, safety, and economic wellbeing in the lingering aftermath of hurricane Katrina; that women were at an increased risk of exposure to sexual assault and domestic violence; and that they encounter greater economic hurdles when rebuilding their lives.

“Women and girls are particularly vulnerable during disasters. They lack mobility and access to resources, have increased family responsibilities, and are susceptible to physical danger,” said Soroptimist’s president, Alice Wells. “Soroptimist's disaster recovery program mitigates the barriers facing women and girls during disasters, making it easier for them to get the resources they need to survive.”

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., Soroptimist offers programs that improve social and economic conditions for women and girls. Its major program, the Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards, provides cash grants for women seeking to improve their lives with the help of additional education and training. Each year, more than $1 million is disbursed to deserving women through this award-winning program. Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on charitable donations to support its programs, also sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign in recognition of the power of women and their dreams. Visit the campaign's online home at: <LiveYourDreamCampaign.org>. For more information on how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, visit <Soroptimist.org>.

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