“For almost 100 years, Soroptimist has worked to create a better world for women and girls. Diversity and Fellowship is one of the core values that drives our work, and we model it in our membership, the women and girls we serve, and our hiring practices. It pains us to see racial injustice and violence of any kind. While we are living through confusing times right now, where consensus is often hard to find, we remain committed to working for a more just and equal world. We urge introspection and collaboration on ways we can work together to fix systems that do not serve all of us equally. We know that many of the women and girls we serve face inequality because of their race or ethnicity, as well as their gender. We will continue to do our part and contribute positively to our communities, nations and the world by helping women and girls to reach their full potential by getting the education they need to achieve economic empowerment.

Right now, we urge calm, empathy and kindness. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Sincerely,

Elizabeth M. Lucas, CAE
Executive Director & CEO
Soroptimist International of the Americas, Inc.

We are in uncertain times as the world faces a global pandemic. While no one is immune to COVID-19 and its effect on our lives, we know that women will suffer the most.

https://soroptimist.imgix.net/05-for-members/Program_Resources/live-your-dream-awards-club-resources/infographic-covid-and-women.pdf

Since Soroptimist Int’l of Rancho Cordova & Gold River was chartered on August 1, 2009, we have made incredible impact to local communities and the world. Here is evidence of that impact:

• • Over 244 homeless teen girls are passing their P.E. classes because they are no longer ashamed to change into their P.E. uniforms, allowing their peers to see their beautiful new undergarments and are doing better in school in general, because of their higher self-esteem and confidence, due to the new bras and panties we bought for them, over the last 9 years.
  • Over 1225 domestic violence survivors, over the last 9 years, feel more normal and loved because they received one of our Comfort Kits.
  • Over 325 children of domestic violence survivors, over the last 6 years, also “felt the love” and are also able to restart their young lives with their very own Comfort Kid kit.
  • Approximately 100 girls per year, since 2014, stayed in school, rather than be sent home with menstrual cramps, because 15 minutes of using a heating pad, that we provided to the school nurses at both Cordova and Kinney High schools, relieved their discomfort enough so they could return to class. That’s 500 girls!
  • A total of 200 kindergartners and 1st graders, over 2 years, had personal time with Santa, received 2 free 5×7 portraits with Santa, a Christmas party and a book as a gift, who would have ordinarily been denied this holiday tradition because of their family’s extreme poverty in December 2012 and 2013.
  • Over 750 girls won’t be a target of traffickers due to the hundreds of Dress a Girl Around the World dresses that we helped make between 2015 and 2016.
  • LYD awards have been awarded to 14 women over 10 years!
  • Ruby awards have been awarded to 10 women over 10 years!
  • Dan Skoglund Memorial Awards have been awarded to 3 women in 1^st year, 2019
  • Violet Richardson awards have been awarded to 5 girls from 2009 to 2014!
  • We’ve helped make 15 homeless high school senior girls, over 3 years, feel like a princess for their Senior Ball, with a new dress and shoes, mani/pedi, hairstyling and makeup consultation. These girls would have missed this high school tradition and memory, if not for our club’s assistance.
  • We raised enough money to buy 40 Solar Cookers for Sudanese families through Governor Kay’s “Kay’s Cookers” campaign
  • “Adopted” 14 homeless teen moms and their children for Christmas since 2017.
  • Gave one of our Comfort Kits to a homeless teen girl who was in crisis in 2015.

TOTAL LIVES CHANGED/IMPROVED 2009-2019: 3,350

Wow! I can’t believe how much we’ve done in our club’s 10-year existence with only 5-6 members a year on average!