SERVICE PROGRAMS

Economic and Social Development:

In March 2010, we held our Awards Dinner at a lovely restaurant in Winona, Ontario.

Women's Opportunity Award

Women’s Opportunity Award is a grant awarded to female heads of households who need additional skills, training and education to enable them to upgrade their employment status or re-enter the workforce so they can provide adequately for themselves and their families.

Our WOA winner was Shelley Rheault from Niagara Falls. She’s a survivor of an 18 year abusive relationship. But now Shelley is enrolled in the Registered Practical Nursing program at Niagara College. She was one of 40 students accepted out of 400 applicants. Here is President Pat Copeman (left) with Shelley in the middle receiving her award and Director Billie Yakiwchuk.

Violet Richardson Award

Honouring Young Women for Volunteer Action. The Violet Richardson award recognizes young women ages 14-17 engaged in volunteer action within their communities or schools. The award is given to young women whose volunteer activities make the community and world a better place. Applications go out to local High Schools and volunteer Agencies. The winner and her volunteer organization both receive a cheque and certificate.

Our VRA winner this year was Emma Degenkamp. Emma is a grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley School in Fonthill. Emma has organized an All Girls Fit club in her school for girls who have not been athletic or sport orientated. She has recruited teachers, local professionals and students to help teach these classes. Emma is on the student council, she's a camp counselor and library volunteer. In this picture Soroptimist Director Dian Zuzyk (left) presents the award and cheque to Emma Degenkamp (centre) and a matching cheque to Cindy Chudyk representing E.L. Crossley High School.

Ruby Award (formerly Making a Difference for Women Award)

This award honours a woman who has worked to improve the lives of women and girls through her professional or volunteer work. Although not a Soroptimist (Soroptimists are not eligible), her efforts help to promote the issues that are important to our organization while offering an inspirational story about how to make a difference in the lives of women.

Our Ruby Award winner was Susan Clairmont a reporter and columnist for the Hamilton Spectator. Through her columns Susan has highlighted the problems of violence against women and children, poverty, and sexism. She sits on the Board of Directors of Charlton Hall, a home for troubled girls, and has chosen that as her recipient for our award. Susan was also named a Hamilton Woman of Distinction by the City of Hamilton. Here we have Susan (middle) accepting her award from Cyndy Roberts (left) and Director Dian Kuzyk.

This year’s Awards Dinner also gave us the opportunity to make three other donations. Left is Governor Maxine presenting a cheque to Terri Della Manna from Women’s Resource Centre.

Centre is Cheryl Plett of Hanna House accepting a donation from Governor Maxine. Right is Governor Maxine presenting a cheque to Donna Christie from the Niagara Region Sexual Assault Centre.

EDUCATION:

We award bursaries to local female secondary students who are graduating and are pursuing a
post-secondary education.

HUMAN RIGHTS/STATUS OF WOMEN:

We have been partnering with the YWCA of St. Catharines with hands-on projects and financial assistance.

We offer financial support to Hannah House Maternity Home, Niagara Region’s only maternity home sheltering and supporting mothers, 21 years and under. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a secure, nurturing environment for the purpose of empowering adolescent mothers as self-sufficient individuals, parents and citizens.

Our club is involved with Second Stage Housing, in Grimsby. We paint, clean and stock the cupboard, along with providing dishes, towels and bedding to ensure the new family has a good home. Our project was dubbed “Tender Loving Care” which is on a plaque inside the apartment. We also support this family with a Christmas Food/Gift Basket, along with food and gift certificates

We also supply Comfort Kits for sexual and domestic assault victims at three of our local hospitals – St. Catharines General Hospital, McMaster Medical Centre, Hamilton and Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington. Each Comfort Kit contains toiletries, tissue, a Guardian Angel Pin and Teddy Bear. We want to make them feel that they are not alone. If required, we also supply a change of clothing. Our club has received a number of ‘Making a Difference for Women’ grants over the years, totaling $13,000 US, which have been used, along with our own funds, to supply the Comfort Kits.

This year we assisted in supplying Birthing Kits that were sent to hospitals and medical clinics in the north of Haiti. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 1 in every 17 women die each year from complications due to childbirth in Haiti. For every 100,000 births, between 500 and 1000 will result in death, putting Haiti as having one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Factors attributing to this high rate have been linked to inadequate access to health care facilities, high birth rates, early age pregnancy, malaria, tuberculosis and lack of skilled birth attendants. It is estimated that 60 percent of all deliveries are unattended in Haiti. Unsafe delivery procedures caused by using unclean instruments have resulted in high rates of infection after birth for both the mother and the child. On average, mothers have eight children or more and in many cases, when a mother passes away as a consequence of improper maternal care, she leaves the rest of the family without any support. A "Birthing Kit" includes: 1 clean razor blade; 2 pieces of string; gauze pads; a birthing mat (1 piece of computer paper); disposable gloves; soap; and a belly band (made out of new white bed sheets, cut into strips). It costs $0.25 to make a kit. These "birthing kits" are making a big difference in infant mortality rate. In this picture several members of our club are busy assembling the kits knowing that they are making life for a Haitian mother safer, easier & just a little bit better. All in all - a fun night and a great feeling knowing we're making a difference!

INTERNATIONAL GOODWILL:

We provide financial support to the Soroptimist International Quadrennial Sierra Leone Project. This is a four year partnership with Hope and Homes for Children which aims to raise over $2,000,000 US to transform the lives of the most alienated and marginalized children and families. The 2007-2008 President’s Appeal for Obstetric Fistula. This is a degrading situation for women who are often ostracized. The cost for the surgical repair is $300 US.