E-Blast Digest

October 15, 2024

Hello Soroptimist Int'l,

Please take the time to read this week's E-Blast so you can stay up-to-date on happenings around the Region and Federation.

NOTE: When you see at the bottom of this eblast "message clipped view entire message" click on it to see the complete eblast.

October

19 - District 2 FDM

26 - District 1 FDM

27 - SNR 2nd Board Meeting

October Awareness Events

• Violet Richardson Month of Giving
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hello Sierra Nevada Region members, and friends,

I can’t believe October is already halfway over! Where is the time going? We are almost done with our Fall District Meetings! We still have District 2 coming up this weekend in Woodland CA, and then we head to Chico for District 1 and end with our 2^nd Region Board Meeting of the biennium at the end of the month! I have received several calls and emails regarding the recent Hurricane in the Southern U.S. – Please see my short article below on how you can assist if you so choose.

On another note, Club Presidents and Treasurers should have received an email from SIA addressed to their club email regarding Electronic Voting. This was to notify you that the voting portal was opened on Friday, Oct 11 and will close on Wednesday, December 11^th. There are nine proposed amendments for your club to review on the nominations and elections page of the SIA website. Please have your club review and discuss the proposals before entering the voting portal. Delegates at the recent SIA Convention in Bellevue considered all the proposals and their recommendations regarding adoption have been added to each proposal.

I also wanted to mention that the month of October Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to recognize the harsh reality many women face. Domestic violence is not only pervasive, affecting 1 in 3 women globally, but often derails women’s educational goals. The new Soroptimist UpLiftHER initiative and SIA is spotlighting education and empowerment for women affected by intimate partner violence as part of #SoroptimistsUpliftHER initiative. Is your club ready to take action?

Domestic Violence Awareness

Take the pledge to end violence against women and discover five ways you can support survivors of domestic violence this October through LiveYourDream.org.

Special Message Regarding Hurricane Milton and the Southern Region.

As we had members and clubs reach out to Sierra Nevada Region Leadership in regard to the devastating Hurricane Milton. It is our hope that all our Soroptimist members in that region are safe and secure. We have been in touch with a former Southern Region Governor, and current SIA board member Michelle Strawser.

Currently, only monetary donations are being accepted by the Southern Region. There is no SIA Disaster Relief available to the general population.

Regulations prohibit 501(c)3 clubs from donating to Soroptimist members. Therefore, all donations sent must be from individuals. It’s important to note that any donations made will only be distributed to Soroptimist members.

Please keep everyone in your prayers as so many are still without power and attempting to recover from this devastating hurricane.

The contact information for donations is:

SI Southern Region Disaster Relief

c/o Past Governor Denise Held, SR Treasurer

4 Sea Drift Terr

Ormond Beach, FL 32176

Or you can Zelle to:

Denise Held - Treasurer@soroptimistsr.org

Again, thank you to you all for all that you do in Soroptimist and for your communities as we continue to provide women and girls access to the education and training, they need to achieve economic empowerment. 

Until next time,

Yours in Soroptimist, 

Stacey Jensen

SNR Governor 2024-2026

Grateful greetings to all of you beautiful members of the Sierra Nevada Region

As we watch what is happening on the opposite end of our country with all the ravaging hurricanes and tornados, I am hopeful for the enthusiastic support of Soroptimist. We will see what we can do to assist.

I am also thankful for the Fall District meetings that have transpired. So many inspirational moments from Region and Federation chairs. Not to mention the speakers that the District Directors and their host clubs have provided. Those of you who know me, can attest to my emotional responses to what has been said and explained as far as organizations helping women and girls and those providing information to enlighten us. Whew! I had no idea I was going to witness such profound and beautiful work amongst us!

Ok, so we have two more district meetings to experience and if you have not been to one, registration is still open for District 1 and 2. So, please attend! You will see the Calls in this e-blast.

Other dates to consider and put into your calendars:

**Conference 2025 is June 6-8 at the Atlantis Resort and Casino, Reno

**Soroptimist Development Retreat 2025 is August 16-17 at the Atlantis Resort and Casino, Reno

**49^th SIA Convention July 22-26, 2026 in Incheon, Korea

Thank you all for being members!

Gratefully yours in service,

Kathy Dunbar 

Governor Elect

Soroptimist International

Sierra Nevada Region

(415) 518-5483

Dear Soroptimists, 

We sincerely hope that each of you, along with your families and loved ones, are safe and secure in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and as we brace for expected Hurricane Milton. The road to recovery for many will no doubt require time, dedication, and significant resources, but we have full confidence that Soroptimists will once again demonstrate their resilience in the face of adversity.

As part of the Soroptimist community, we stand with you in solidarity. Please take all necessary precautions, stay informed, and remain connected with your local authorities for the latest updates. We are thinking of you and will continue to keep you in our thoughts and hearts as these events unfold.

With sincere concern and solidarity,

Ginger Cole

2024-2025 SIA President

Sue Riney

2024-2025 SIA President-elect

Call to 2nd SNR Board Meeting of Biennium

When: October 27, 2024

Time: 9:00 am

Where: Hotel Diamond Cupola Room, 220 W. 4th St, Chico, CA 95928

Call and Agenda for SNR 2nd Board Meeting of the Biennium

Call to District 2 Fall Meeting

Hosted by Soroptimist International of Woodland

Theme: "Let's Take Flight"

When: October 19, 2024

Time: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Where: Mojo’s Lounge Upstairs, 428 1st Street, Woodland, CA

Registration Fee: $46.00. Includes morning pastries, coffee, etc., and lunch

District 2 Friday Night Social: October 18, 2024, 6-8pm. Mojo’s Lounge Patio. Appetizers, no-host drinks, and fun!

Registration

Agenda for District 2 Fall Meeting

Call to District 1 Fall Meeting

Hosted by Soroptimist International of Bidwell Rancho

Theme: You “GROW” Girl

When: October 26, 2024

Time: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm

Where: Hotel Diamond, 220 W 4th Street, Chico, CA 95928

Registration Fee: $45.00. Includes lunch

District 1 Friday Night Social: October 25, 2024: At 5:00 pm please join us for a free tour of the Chico History Museum, 141 Salem St, Chico, CA.  Afterwards we will meet across the street at Madison Bear Garden, 316 W.2nd St, Chico, CA, at 5:30 pm for no host drinks & food. If you can, come early and shop the charming downtown Chico district. A curated map of downtown merchant supporters will be emailed to registrants a few days prior. Discounts and other specials will be available all weekend.

Dinner is not included in the registration fee. Individuals will pay for their own drinks and dinner.

Sales & Display tables available

• $10 for Soroptimist Club tables
• $25 for Non-Club tables

Sign up available with registration. Registration deadline extended to 10/19. $10 late fee thereafter

Registration

Call and Agenda for District 1 Fall Meeting

Sacramento County Clubs Honored by Sacramento History Alliance

On October 10, 2024, eight Sacramento County clubs were recognized with a Burnett Award by the Sacramento History Alliance at the Sacramento History Museum. The Burnett Awards pay tribute to iconic businesses and organizations who stand as pillars of Sacramento’s history, embodying resilience, tradition, and community spirit.

Representatives from all 8 clubs (SI Elk Grove, SI Greater Sacramento, SI Metropolitan Sacramento, SI Sacramento, SI South Sacramento, SI Rancho Cordova & Gold River, SI Citrus Heights and SI Folsom/El Dorado Hills) attended to accept their club's award. District Director 3 Sheryl Longsworth, accepted the award on behalf of the entire organization, accompanied by past Governor Jackie DeMartini who represented District Director 4, Rae DeGabriele. A beautiful video was produced by the Sacramento History Alliance and shown during the award ceremony.

The event was covered by ABC10 Late Night News and emceed by that news anchor, Lora Painter.

Sheryl Longsworth

District 3 Director

snr_district_3@soroptimistsnr.org

916-833-1218(M)

Video Series: Soroptimist Orientation and Leadership Training



Presenting: Be a 5-Tool Player with SOLT by Susan Horst, District 5 Director, and Maureen Mason, SNR Secretary. Learn how to add SOLT to your meetings. Great information regarding how the Soroptimist organization is designed and how our clubs relate to the rest of the world. Acronyms, Dream Programs, Awards, and the Big Goal!

• Video Link
• Presentation Link

Enjoy this video series with thanks to all our presenters. 

Danielle Kennedy, Public Awareness Chair 2024-2026

SNR Soroptimist Friends,

I hope this email finds you all doing well and preparing for a great new club year. Your SNR nominating committee for 2023-2025 will be giving you information in the coming months with details at the Fall District Meetings for the opening on the Nominating Committee. The committee and I are all very excited to help find members to serve on the next SNR Nominating Committee and we are look forward to working with you to make that happen.

Your SNR Nominating Committee for 2023-2025 are:

Coordinator Jackie DeMartini, S.I. Loomis Basin nomcommittee@SoroptimistSNR.org

District 1 Sheron Box, S.I. Bidwell Rancho nomdist1@SoroptimistSNR.org

District 2 Stephanie Madesh Bolter, S.I. Woodland nomdist2@SoroptimistSNR.org

District 3 Staci Bettis, S.I. Elk Grove nomdist3@SoroptimistSNR.org

District 4 Open – Contact Jackie DeMartini, S.I. Loomis Basin

District 5 Katelin Felicetti, S.I. Fallon nomdist5@SoroptimistSNR.org

District 6 Linda Fitzgibbons S.I. Pahrump nomdist6@SoroptimistSNR.org

We are all honored to serve the region in this capacity and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or are interested in serving at the region level.

Please mark your calendars nominations are due November 15.

Jackie DeMartini

2023-2025 Nominating Committee Coordinator

November 15th Deadline: Live Your Dream Award online application system

The Live Your Dream Awards offers three levels of cash awards. Eligible applicants can submit their application through the online application system between August 15 - November 15. 

What if your club has not received any eligible applications from women in your community? 

• Contact your region chair or other clubs in your area to see if they have applications they can share. Clubs that have received several applications may share applications with other clubs that need applications. Clubs can submit a request to share applications by completing the Application Share Form. 
• Another option is to contact SIA Headquarters at lydawards@soroptimist.org – SIA Headquarters receives applications from women who do not live near a Soroptimist club and would be happy to share some with you! Request applications by submitting a Non-local Application Request form

Important Deadlines:

•  NOVEMBER 15: Application deadline for club-level awards
•  FEBRUARY 15: Region–level judging deadline 
•  MARCH 15: Federation–level judging deadline
•  MARCH (or earlier!) Honor your club recipient by holding and publicizing an awards event

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I’m here for you!

Cheers!

Billie Araiza

Live Your Dream Awards

Sierra Nevada Region Coordinator

2024-2026 Biennium

liveyourdream@soroptimistsnr.org 

CONGRATULATIONS to all clubs celebrating a Charter anniversary during the month of October!

• SI Elk Grove 1985 (39 years)
• SI Metropolitan Las Vegas 1981 (43 years)
• SI Truckee Meadows 1978 (46 years)
• SI American River 2010 (14 years)

Hopefully I did not miss anyone.

Governor Stacey

SI American River

• It's Bling Time flyer (11/6)

SI Bidwell Rancho

• Sticker flyer
• License Plate Frame flyer

SI Davis

• Soup Night flyer (10/24)

SI Elk Grove

• Avon flyer
• Bunco flyer (10/26)

SI Grass Valley

• Zero Waste Club Kit flyer

SI Greater Sacramento

• E-waste flyer

SI Lincoln

• Olive Oil flyer
• E-Waste flyer

SI Pahrump Valley

• Christmas for Seniors flyer (10/11-12/11)
• Just Us Witches bunco flyer (10/26)

SI Rancho Cordova/GR

• Print cartridge recycling flyer
• e-waste recycling flyer
• Tru-Earth Eco-products flyer
• 4th Annual LYD High Tea flyer (10/19)

SI Roseville

• Fun, Fashion & Firs flyer (11/16)

SI So. Lake Tahoe

• Demin & Diamonds flyer (11/1)

SI South Sacramento

• "Show You're a Soroptimist" flyer
• Paint & Sip fundraiser flyer (11/30)