Programs
We had a lot on the go back in the 2010-11 year and will be back in the thick of it, starting in September:
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 to re-enter the workforce so they can provide adequately for themselves and their families. Find out more »
Violet Richardson Award
Honouring Young Women for Volunteer Action. This new award was launched at the SIA Federation Convention in Hawaii in July 2000. 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.
Ruby Award (formerly Making a Difference for Women)
Acknowledging women who are working to improve the lives of women and girls through their personal or professional activities. Their efforts help to promote the issues that are important to the Soroptimist organization. Honorees are women who have worked in extraordinary ways to benefit women and girls. Examples of the type of work honored include: spearheading an effort to open a domestic violence shelter, working to secure health services for low-income women, starting a mentoring program for at-risk girls, or lobbing companies to provide on-site child care.
YWCA, Hamilton
We provided $20,000 in financial support to the YWCA of Hamilton Encore Program.
Friends For Success
This YWCA program collects and provides clothing, shoes and handbags for women less fortunate who are reentering the work force and have no clothing to even go to their first job interview. Our club collects clothing twice per year.
Community Garden in Ancaster
Alma's Garden in Ancaster
In 2007, we planted and maintain a garden at the Ancaster Community Cetre in memory of our late Soroptimist sister, Alma Hodges. The garden is maintained by Crimson Leaf Landscaping and watered/weeded by the women of SI-DAF. Find out more »
Wesley Urban Ministries
Their youth housing project offers the street-involved or homeless youth (ranging in age from 16-21 years)access to safe, affordable, one-year housing with on-site support programs to aid the youth in building the skills necessary to reach their ultimate goal.
Our club is sponsoring day to day ‘luxuries’, that the majority of us would take for granted. For example – bus tickets, grocery store vouchers, Christmas gifts by way of a Shopping Mall voucher, and we are currently in the process of purchasing a computer, printer and of course extra ink cartridges and paper. We also held a cooking workshop at the Centre and once the computer is installed we will hold a workshop to help with Resume writing and finding good web sites to help them with everything from careers to recipes.
Drummond House
They provide a transitional home for women and children who are in need of temporary accommodation. Drummond House is the first project of Eagle’s Nest Association of Waterdown Ontario. Debra Tigchelaar had a vision to have a “home” for women and their children during a time of distress. They are in need of women mentors to share their expertise.
Food Drive and Christmas Hampers
We provide $400 to each of the food drives (Dundas, Ancaster and Flamborough), as well as participating in the hands on sorting of donations at the Ancaster Food Drive each February. We are also preparing Christmas Hampers for families in need comprising food and gifts.