The Women's Opportunity Awards program assists women who, as head of their households, must enter or return to the work force, or upgrade their employment status. This financial award program enables these women to gain the additional education and skills training they need to provide adequately for themselves and their families. The program begins on the club level, after which club award recipients become eligible for region-level awards. Multiple recipients in each of Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) 29 regions receive awards:in the amounts of $3,000 and $5,000. An additional $10,000 award is given out to a Federation winner.

For more information contact: Carolyn Turner at cturner6@socal.rr.com..

The Violet Richardson Award recognizes and honors young women between the ages of 14 and 17 who make the community and world a better place through volunteer efforts such as: fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; and working to end discrimination and poverty. Volunteer actions that benefit women or girls are of particular interest. The program begins at the club-level, where the type of award varies.

Club-level honorees then become eligible for one of 29 $1,000 awards. In addition, $1,000 will be contributed in the name of these honorees to their volunteer organizations.

One finalist will be chosen from among the 29 honorees for an additional award, including a contribution of $2,500 to the finalist's volunteer organization.

Funding for the Violet Richardson Award is provided by The Soroptimist Foundation.

For more information, contact Violet Richardson Award Coordinator for Desert Coast Region: Betty King, bking@commercenatbank.com.

The Making a Difference for Women Award acknowledges women who are working to improve the lives of women and girls through their personal or professional activities. Their efforts help to promote the issues that are important to the Soroptimist organization.

Honorees are women who have worked in extraordinary ways to benefit women and girls. Examples of the type of work honored include: spearheading an effort to open a domestic violence shelter, working to secure health services for low-income women, starting a mentoring program for at-risk girls, or lobbing companies to provide on-site child care.

The program enables local Soroptimist clubs and the Soroptimist organization to thank these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist women and girls. The program begins on the club level, where the type of recognition varies. Award winners at the club level are eligible for additional awards at other levels of the organization. The finalist receives a $5,000 donation to the charitable organization of her choice.

For more information, contact Amanda Secola at asecola@earthlink.net.

Project SIerra is a four year partnership between Soroptimist International and Hope and Homes for Children which will transform the lives of some of the most deprived children and women in the world.

Project SIerra: A Family And A Future aims to raise GBP1 million ($2million USD) to help disadvantaged women and children in Sierra Leone face their futures with confidence.

By strengthening families at risk of breakdown, helping young children living on the streets return home and empowering vulnerable young mothers, Project SIerra will enable more children to grow up in a caring family environment – giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
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Every year, on Human Rights Day (December 10) the President of Soroptimist International selects a project that provides direct assistance to women in extreme need.

Past projects have aided refugees in camps in Malaysia, provided protection and help for women AIDS sufferers in Uganda and the Ukraine, scholarships for girls in Mongolia and Rwanda, vocational training programmes and shelter for vulnerable women and children in Paraguay, education and nutrition for abandoned children in Vietnam, and malaria protection for pregnant women and young children in Benin, Africa.

The 2006 December 10th Appeal is for Project Punjab: Helping Girls Into School. For more information, contact Cathy Standiford at siggcathy@yahoo.com.

Soroptimists work to improve the lives of women and girls in their communities and throughout the world. Often the abilities and ambitions of clubs exceed their financial resources. To help clubs meet community need, Soroptimist introduced the Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls in 1997 to assist with community service projects that improve the lives of women and girls.

The Soroptimist organization funds about $175,000 each year in Soroptimist Club Grants. Since the program’s inception, nearly $1.4 million has been awarded and clubs have assisted more than 100,000 women and their families.

For more information, contact Lisa Moore at trvlexpo@cox.net.