2023 Best in Federation Club Awards Winner – Impact
The Best in Federation Club Awards recognize the outstanding work of clubs and celebrates the best practices in their support of SIA’s strategic plan. Clubs who achieve 100% of the Club Roadmap Metrics are invited to apply for the award. Read on to find out more about the Impact winner:
SI/Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, CA (Desert Coast Region)
SI Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs held a Live Your Dream Awards Luncheon in June 2023, which honored 5 Live Your Dream Award recipients, 2 female veterans, and 4 women from Custody to Community Transitional ReEntry Program. Club members also hosted a half day Dream It, Be It workshop for teen girls in May 2023.
The club first partnered with Cerritos College's Veterans Resource Center in 2013 at the suggestion of member Gail Connolly. She believed women in the military need support to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, being deployed far from home/family, and sexual harassment. They funded 1-2 scholarships annually.
When Gail passed away in 2021, her family donated $5,000 in her memory which was used for three $1,000 awards in 2022 and two $1,000 awards in 2023 to female veterans. The funds can be used for any educational support, including transportation or books. Club members keep in touch with these honorees through phone and social media, and have invited them to Soroptimist fundraisers to share their testimonials.
A former club member, Liliana Rivas, is director of Custody to Community Transitional ReEntry Program (CCTRP), funded by California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. The clients are transitioning from prison to being successfully integrated into the community. Many pay restitution to victims during the last portion of their sentence, and lack funds to achieve their economic or educational goals. Liliana asked club members to mentor CCTRP women, provide volunteer opportunities in the community and fund GED test fees. In FY21/22, they funded GED test fees for four women. They came to the Live Your Dream Awards luncheon wearing graduation caps and gowns, full of excitement. The next year, the club quadrupled their donation to CCTRP, then wrote a successful Club Grant to enrich our partnership in FY 23/24.
When the Big Goal of reaching half a million women and girls through access to education by 2031 was communicated, SI Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs increased the number of Live Your Dream Awards given annually and identified CCTRP and female veterans as qualifying for Big Goal Accelerator Programs. Instead of giving one or two awards, they gave five Live Your Dream Awards in 2023 (4 at $1,000 and 1 at $1,500) to the honoree whose name was forwarded to region.All the applicants have overcome tremendous odds, and each expressed their sincere appreciation for this financial support, as well as the recognition of their dreams and hard work.
Even during the pandemic, the club continued providing Dream It, Be It workshops virtually. New member Amanda Moreno helped the club feel comfortable in the Zoom environment. They held virtual Dream It, Be It workshops in 2021 and 2022, but teens missed the hands-on interaction. In 2023, seven members of the club along with members of SI/Fullerton hosted a half-day workshop for 6 teen girls. Everyone created dream boards, shared goals, and enjoyed Vice-Mayor Jennifer Perez' comments about her path to leadership in city government. Photos are taken at events for PR and social media, and we use banners to spotlight Soroptimist logos and taglines.
Congratulations to SI/Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, CA (Desert Coast Region) for their successful Dream Programs that have provided women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.
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