Soroptimist is hosting our 2nd Annual Comedy Night!

Where : Tracie’s Place, 592 Upper James St, Hamilton (905 538 0795)

When : Sunday January 22, 2017. The show will be from 7.00 to 9.00pm.
Come at 6pm to purchase dinner and a drink, and bid on the Silent Auction table.

Tickets are only $15 per person.

Tickets available : from a Soroptimist you know, or email Janet at janet.barnard (@) sympatico.ca

All funds raised are in support of Fit Active & Beautiful.

The free ‘FAB Girls 5K Challenge’ program removes the barriers of participating in sport by providing each FAB Girl with a new pair of quality running shoes, transportation and paid entry into community runs, a personal goal-setting journal, healthy snacks, and ‘I’m FAB’ t-shirt. FAB Girls tell us they have made new friends; are more active; achieve goals; feel they’re a stronger runner; feel inspired; and their coaches are encouraging and provide a comfortable environment. Find out more »

Comedy Night January 2017

Loonie Toonie Auction – November 2015

The 2014 Loonie Toonie Auction was yet another huge success. Lots of excitement and winning of excellent prizes – with 300 plus women and some brave men having a good time. Close to $18,000 was raised and will be used to assist vulnerable women and girls in our community over the next year. Thanks to all who participated.

This fall we will not be hosting the Loonie Toonie auction. We’ve got lots of fun being planned for so please stay tuned for more information!

Awards Gala 2015

SIDAF had another successful Awards Gala in June of this year. Together with Past Mayor Bob Brattina, his wife Carol and Councillor Judi Partridge we all enjoyed an excellent dinner at Dundas Golf and Curling Club after which we honored our award winners.

Natasha of Interval House and Flamborough Womens Resource Centre – winner of our Ruby Award. This award honours women who have worked to improve the lives of women and girls through their professional and/or volunteer work.

Rahanaz winner of our Live Your Dream Award. This financial 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 prospects. Rahanaz is photographed here with, from the left Bob Brattina previously Mayor of Hamilton, Rahanaz’s daughter, Rahanaz, Carol Brattina, Pauline Hardcastle President SIDAF, Rahanaz’s son.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for their generosity:
Randi Warner from PartyLite, Choices in Dundas and Pauline’s Fine Art.

Annual Awards Gala – June 5th

Join us for an evening of Inspiration and Success as we celebrate the Soroptimist International Live your Dream Award and Ruby Award. This evening will recognize women in our communities who make an impact on the lives of women and girls. More information about these awards can be found on our website »

Details:
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Cocktails at 6:30 P.M. Dinner Served at 7:00 P.M.
Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club
10 Woodley Lane, Dundas

Tickets are $65.00 per person.
To order yours, please contact Pauline at soroptimistdaf@gmail.com

This event is Semi Formal. Raffle tickets for gifts and 50/50 draw will be on site.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organization for women, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. With almost 90,000 members in over 125 countries and territories, it is the world’s largest classified service organization for executive and professional women. Since 1987 Soroptimist International of Dundas-Ancaster-Flamborough has been focussing on issues such as domestic violence, poverty, empowering young women, sexual harassment, and other challenges unique to today’s women.

Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible. Together, we are helping women achieve their best!

Soroptimist Information Night

Join us to hear Sharon Gallant, FAB Foundation Fit, Active Beautiful and learn more about what Soroptimist does to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in need within our community. Wine & Cheese and Dessert will be served.

Located at 260 Hamilton St, Waterdown (formerly Waterdown High School) on April 16, 7pm. Look for our banner at the door.

Soroptimist International of Dundas Ancaster Flamborough. Proudly serving our community for over 25 years.

Please register online at Eventbrite so we can make sure everyone can enjoy refreshments:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/soroptimist-information-night-tickets-16195818128

Bullying Awareness

Come and listen to the highly respected social worker, Gary Direnfeld MSW RSW, who will talk us all through how to deal with child/teen bullying and violence, including cyber bullying. Come also with your questions for Gary – he loves to interact with his audience and gear the evening around what you want to discuss rather than what he wants to discuss.

So whether you are a woman working with young people, a concerned mother or in fact a concerned child/teen then you are most welcome to come along to this free information evening. Coffee will be served.

Thursday, 18 September 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (PDT)

Amica at Dundas, 50 Hatt Street, Dundas, ON

Register online (no cost):

https://soroptimist-bullying-awareness.eventbrite.ca

Flyer:

2013 Awards Gala: Congratulations

On Wednesday May 22nd , 2013 Soroptimist International of Dundas~Ancaster~Flamborough (SI-DAF) hosted its annual Awards Gala to honour three special women in our community. It was an inspiring evening of celebration for our winners, recognizing their achievements with three awards:

Shamim Amini was honoured with this year’s Women’s Opportunity Award, a grant awarded to female heads of households for additional skills, training and education to enable them to upgrade their employment status to re-enter the workforce. Shamin’s story is one of courage, dedication and initiative.

Chantal Mudahogora was the winner of the Ruby Award, an award that acknowledges women who are working to improve the lives of women and girls through their personal or professional activities. Chantal is a Diversity Counsellor at the Alzheimer Society of Hamilton and Halton. From traumatic events in her home country of Rwanda, through her journey as an immigrant to Canada, and her continuing work with immigrant women and girls, Chantal’s story is an inspiration to all who know her.

Ashley Adile was the recipient of the Violet Richardson Award, recognizing young women ages 14-17 who are engaged in volunteer action within their communities or schools. Ashley is a member of the Bishop Tonnos Mathematics and Eco Club.

These annual awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and support the wonderful women and girls in our community who embody the spirit of Soroptimism: “Women at their best, helping other women to be their best”.

Top Ten Things Every Woman Should Know About Their Car

Thank you to Christine from CT&G Automotive Specialists and Sandra from the Flamborough Women’s Resource Centre for hosting the Car Care Clinic tonight. It was an excellent learning opportunity for women to feel more confident talking to their mechanic.

If you weren’t able to make it, these are the top 10 things every woman should know about their car.

10. The hype about nitrogen in tires.

As of 2008, the government required all light duty vehicles sold to be equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems.  This created chaos at dealerships every time the weather changed.  Air expands and contracts with temperature changes, causing tire pressure monitor lights to illuminate and customers to panic.  Nitrogen does not change pressure as the temperature varies, solving this seasonal problem.  There will be no harm done to your vehicle if regular air is added to tires previously filled with nitrogen.  Tires filled with air can be easily adjusted with the seasons if you don’t want to shell out the extra money for nitrogen, this could cost over $50.00!!

9.  Don’t leave your pre-trip inspection to the last minute!

Driving up north for a couple weeks?  Going down south for the winter?  Don’t leave your pre-trip inspection to the last minute; you may have to delay your vacation because of vehicle repairs!  When you bring your vehicle to a shop for a pre-trip inspection, a good technician will test all the safety features of your vehicle.   Also, they should thoroughly look at maintenance items to make certain they will last the length of your trip; spark plugs, belts, and fluids.  Unless you are incredibly detail oriented when it comes to the maintenance of your vehicle, it is likely that you will need a repair done to your vehicle before you leave.  This may take up to a day or two, depending on the availability of your vehicle parts, so plan ahead.

8.  YouTube and Google are very useful tools!

Ever had a mechanic or service writer tell you that your car needed something that you had no idea existed?  Ever feared that they were just making up a word and attaching a rather large price tag to said word?  Look it up!!!  Over the past 8-10 years, the internet has exploded with consumers sharing their experiences with all sorts of products, including vehicles and repairs.  Search the recommended repair and see what comes up.  Keep in mind, not everything on the Internet is true, therefore take the time to read numerous write ups before you make your final decision.

7.  Your owners’ manual contains a lot of practical information!

Every manufacturer has a different idea as to when maintenance should be performed.   Each manufacturer is unique with what type of oil, fuel, coolant, etc. they endorse in their vehicles as well.  Use your owners’ manual to help you prepare for expenses related to your vehicle.  Timing belts, transmission services and tune ups are among the more expensive items you will be faced with down the road.

6.  Winter tires actually do make a difference.

I’m sure that most of us have been stuck in a snow bank or even some deep snow, some of us have hit a patch of black ice and had the sin scared out of us (if we were lucky!) and we have all watched on as other drivers plowed through as though there was no snow.  Snow tires have come a very long way over the past decade.  They are engineered to stick to the road, keep your car going in the right direction on ice, and muscle through small snow banks.  Snow tires are made of a softer rubber compound than all season or summer tires, this helps when the temperatures drop to bone chilling cold.  Summer tires become hard, much like a hockey puck, while winter tires will remain softer.  Winter tires also have siping in their tread.  This is just small cuts all over the tread to allow the tire to stick to ice and snow.  Think of it this way, you are on a slab of ice, one foot is bare, while the other has a sock on it.  The foot with the sock will stick to the ice, while the foot with no sock will be sliding all over the place.  This is very similar to winter tires (socked foot) and summer tires (bare foot).

5. Your car should not squeak, clunk, shimmy or grind!!!

Pay attention to the noises that your car is making, as well as any sort of vibrations that happen at different times.  These are all signs that something is not quite right with your car.  Paying attention to these issues and having them addressed could save your life and the lives of other motorists as well as pedestrians.   Make sure you know when the noise occurs.  Is it at a certain speed?  When you’re braking?  When the car is idling, going over bumps, cornering or reversing?  This will help your mechanic pin-point the issue to repair it more efficiently.

4. Tires should be rotated.

Tire manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 10,000km, which works out to roughly every second oil change.  By rotating your tires, you are increasing the-life span of your tires.  Tires are expensive, so maintain them!

3.   The lights on your dash board mean something!!!!

The lights on your dashboard are there for an important reason: to keep you safe while on the road!!  Pay close attention to these lights.  Even that pesky check engine light that “has been on ever since I bought the car” is now more important than before.  If a vehicle has a check engine light on, it will no longer pass the emission test in Ontario.   If your ABS (anti-locking brake system) or air bag warning light(s) are on, this means that these systems will no longer function.  It’s critical because if you are in an accident, your air bags will not deploy, and if you have to slam on your brakes, your ABS system will not kick in.  Be aware of the light show on your dashboard and check your owners’ manual to see what those lights mean!

2.  Cars require maintenance.

A vehicle is the second biggest purchase the average household will make, second to their home, so consider your car a significant investment.  Even though you may be driving a brand new car, it will still require timely maintenance.  Vehicles have hundreds of thousands of moving parts, all wearing little by little every time you start your vehicle.  Minor maintenance, like oil changes and tire rotations should happen every 3-6 months depending on the manufacturer.  Your owners’ manual will give you a better idea of what is recommended for your vehicle.  This will help to keep your investment in good shape and avoid costly repairs in the long run.

1. Know your rights.

Know what is and is not legal going into a repair shop.  Whether it’s the small shop in town or the big dealership in the heart of the city, your rights are always the same.  They are not allowed to make any repairs to your vehicle without your consent.  They are not allowed to hold your vehicle if repairs have been done that you did not authorize.  And even though it is not technically a law, they are not allowed to bully you into repairing your vehicle.  It is YOUR vehicle, and it is YOUR decision whether or not you want that repair done and where you want that repair done.  Take your time to make the right decisions for you, and for your vehicle!!

Car Care Clinic

This year’s first annual Car Care Clinic has been rescheduled and will be held on May 16th, starting at 7:00pm, ending around 8:30pm.

You never know where you may get stranded, North or South! The goal of this course is to help women feel more comfortable taking their vehicle in for repairs. Christine from CT&G will be teaching your rights at a repair shop, as well as a basic understanding of what is under the hood of your car.

“Talking to your Mechanic: a clinic to help women feel more confident at the garage” is being held at CT&G Automotive Sepcialists at 941 Centre Rd (Flamborough Centre).

Please pass this information on to anyone you know that might be interested in this seminar. Everyone is welcome!

Please RSVP by May 14th to: Christine at 905-690-6660 (CT&G Automotive Specialist) or Sandra at 289-895-8580 (Flamborough Women’s Resource Centre) .

This event is sponsored by CT&G Automotive Specialists and Flamborough Women’s Resource Centre.

2013 Awards Gala

Please join us for our annual Awards Gala where we will be honouring local women and girls in our community and recognizing their achievements with three awards:

  • The Women’s Opportunity Award: Recognizing a woman who is the head of her household and actively enrolled in a further education program so she may provide a better life for her family.
  • The Violet Richardson Award: Recognizing a 13-17 year old female student who works tirelessly towards helping others in our community and celebrating her commitment to volunteerism.
  • The Ruby Award: Recognizing a local woman in the community who has made a difference in the live of women & girls in our community.

This evening is a proud event for us that is made possible through our continued fundraising to help women & girls in our community and throughout the world.

We invite you to join us in celebration and hear their inspiring stories on Wednesday May 22, 2013 at Copetown Woods Golf Course (directions). Doors open at 6pm and there will be a cash bar. Tickets are available in advance (not at the door) for $35 and include a delicious meal. Dress code is cocktail/semi formal (or as we like to say, your best party dress). Gentlemen are welcome.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, speak with one of our Soroptimist Members, or contact us directly at soroptimistdaf@gmail.com. Tickets must be reserved by May 15th. Everyone is welcome to join us!