SOROPTIMIST GRANTS $4,000 TO WOMEN AFFECTED BY TYPHOONS

December 10, 2007
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 girls, presented a $4,000 disaster relief grant to its Daet Soroptimist club in Albay, Philippines, to help meet the needs of women displaced by recent typhoons.

With the grant, Daet Soroptimists will provide local women with additional food, clothing, shelter, and most importantly, jobs.  

According to the Philippines Department of Social Welfare, two recent typhoons (Milenyo and Reming) have affected more than 150 women and their families. During their stay in shelters, these women learn skills such as making bags out of abaca, a species of banana native to the Philippines, as well as making pili candy—a local delicacy. After they leave the shelters, the Daet club, with support of Albay Governor Joey Salceda, will help create jobs for these women.

While supplying food, clothing and shelter is important, “what these women need is capital so they can help pick up the pieces of their lives,” said Linabelle Villarica, governor of Soroptimist’s Philippines Region. “Making bags out of abaca and making pili candy are two skills these women can use to become self-sufficient. As soon as these women become financially able, they can put food on their tables.” 

Soroptimist’s disaster relief grants, which range from $1,000 to $20,000, assist women who have been victims of natural disasters or acts of war. Past Soroptimist relief efforts include a $16,000 grant to the Largo Mid-Pinellas County, Florida, club to help Pinellas Village, a housing community for low-income single parents, pay its insurance premiums after a $70,000 increase due to high risk of damage during Florida’s yearly hurricane season. Without the grant, Pinellas Village would have been forced to close, leaving single mothers and their children homeless. Another club in Trujillo, Peru, received $20,000 to help meet the needs of 500 women displaced by earthquakes by providing them and their families with enough food to eat for 10 days.

“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 executive director, Leigh Wintz. “Soroptimist's disaster relief program mitigates the barriers facing women and girls during disasters, making it easier for them to get the resources they need to survive.”

Soroptimist, a 501 c (3) organization headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., offers programs that improve social and economic conditions for women and girls. Programs include the Women’s Opportunity Awards, which provides cash grants for head-of-household women seeking to improve their lives with the help of additional education and training. Each year, more than $1 million is disbursed through this award-winning program. Visit Soroptimist’s website at www.soroptimist.org to learn more about the organization and its work on behalf of the world’s women and girls.

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