|
Enhancing the lives of women and youth
in our community and the world.
| |
|
AWARDS BREAKFAST
President Shelly opened this morning's meeting with a welcome to all. Lydia's invocation spoke to our purpose this morning to honor women who have stretched beyond their limits to reach their full potential, and in doing so have bettered their own lives and the lives of others.
Several guests were in attendance this morning including Nancy Harrison, Katelyn Smith, Melanie Chu, Laura Salinas and Sasha Davila from LTCC and Amy Jackson from LTUSD. Other Soroptimist International dignitaries and guests included Laurie Ault, Doris Groelz, Linda Lucena, Trudy Mills, Angle Little, District 5 director Holly Nash and SNR Governor, Lisa Fitzgerald. And of course our special guests were the award recipients and their families and supporters.
This morning's program is one of the most inspiring and heartwarming of the year. Below is a brief summary of the winners. Unfortunately limited space does not allow us to tell the full array of their amazing accomplishments
G.I.V.E. AWARD
GIVE stands for Girls Into Volunteer Experiences. This program recognizes young women grades 8 through 12 who volunteer in their community and/or school. The award was previously named after Violet Richardson, the president of the first Soroptimist club in Alameda County in 1921. She believed in personal responsibility and the motto, “It's what you do that counts.” Violet Richardson lived her life accordingly, as an active member in her community who was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women.
We are recognizing 3 STHS recipients this year. Each girl will receive $250 for herself, and an additional $250 for the organization of her choice.
| |
Presenter Shelly Martinez with GIVE Award Winner Emily Banks who will donate her award to the Boys and Girls Club.
| |
|
Presenter Brenda Heldoorn with GIVE Award Winner Sydney Irwin who will donate her award to Bread and Broth 4 Kids. | |  |
Presenter Laurie Flesher with GIVE Award Winner Milan Riva who will donate her award to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates.) | | |
|
RUBY AWARD
The Soroptimist Ruby Award was created in honor of the first Soroptimist Federation President, Ruby Lee Minar. The gemstone ruby is associated with wisdom, importance,vitality, strength, power, and love; words that embody our award recipient today. Our Ruby winner will receive $400 and an additional $400 is given to her volunteer
organization, as recognition of her commitment to our community.
| |
Ruby Award Winner Cheryl Breitwieser, co chair of Bread and Broth 4 Kids since 2014, with presenter Carol Gerard. Besides Cheryl's award, $400 will be donated to Bread and Broth 4 Kids in her honor.
| |
|
|
LIVE YOUR DREAM AWARD
Soroptimist Live your Dream Award assists women who provide the primary source of financial support to their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their
education, skills, and employment opportunities. This is the cornerstone program of Soroptimist Int’l of the Americas which has about 1300 clubs in 21 countries. Each year more than $2.9 million in education grants are awarded to about 2000 women. Since 1972 about $35 million has been awarded to tens of thousands of deserving women through this program, supporting women in achieving their goals and making their dreams possible.
Many of these women have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse. Live Your Dream recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education such as books, childcare, tuition, and transportation. In addition to providing the primary
financial support for their families, eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational or skill training program or an undergraduate degree program and must demonstrate financial need. This year our club gave three LYD Awards totaling $6,500.
| |
Toni Wesley, who received a Live Your Dream award in 2019 shares how the award helped her to finish her education. | |
Presenter Lisa Fisher with Live Your Dream recipient Araceli Perez. | |
Presenter Jeanne Prestella with Live Your Dream Recipient Cynthia Rojas. | |
Live Your Dream recipient Astraea Marion with presenter Lydia Rogers. | |
Special guests, Sierra Nevada Region District 5 Director, Holly Nash, Sierra Nevada Region Governor, Lisa Fitzgerald with SI Tahoe Sierra Awards Committee Chair, Nancy Muller.
| |
|
|
Wishing a very happy February birthday month to our SITSters!
Lois Downy March 2
Joanne Shope March 2
Cookie Rork March 4
Jean Bergner March 24
Jennifer Stafford March 26
Our age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying us!
| |
Strong women don't have "attitudes"we have standards | |
|
Consider beginning your Thursday with us!
Join us at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center at 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. at 7:30am on Thursday mornings for our in person meetings. We are very excited to be getting together and hope to see many bright and shining, lovely faces.
| | |
|
2023-2024 Board of Directors
- President-Shelly Martinez
- President Elect-Lisa Cali
- 2yr Treasurer-Andrea Solis
- 1yr Treasurer-Jeanne Prestella
- Recording Secretary-Nancy Muller
- Corresponding Secretary-Jackie Kerby
- 2yr Delegate-Laurie Flesher
- 1yr Delegate-Amy Simons
- 2yr Director-Theresa Papandrea
- 1yr Director-Margie Kovarik-Maxhimer
- Past President-Paula Peterson
| | |
|
Laurel Society Members
- Norma Poole (in memory)
- Irene Morris (In memory)
- Irene Radford (2006)
- Lucille Holmlund (In memory)
- Joanne Shope
- Dilys Evans (in memory)
- Kathy Southern
- Teruyo (Terry) Kunibe
- Marilyn Milholland
- Doris Groelz (2011)
- Wendy David (2012)
- Pat Papp (2013)
- Lydia Rogers (2014)
- Trudy Mills (2015)
- Cookie Rork (2015)
- Diane Imbach (2016)
- Lisa Huard (2017)
- Nancy Muller (2023)
What is the Laurel Society? Go here to learn about it!
| |
Post Office Box 18727,
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
| | | | | |
