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December 10th President's Appeal |
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Soroptimist International of the Americas, a volunteer organization for
business and professional women working to improve the lives of women
and girls in local communities and throughout the world, is
participating in Soroptimist International’s December 10th Appeal, also
known as the President’s Appeal, to help women with obstetric fistula.
Each year on December 10th (United Nations’ Human Rights Day), the
Soroptimist International president asks all Soroptimists worldwide to
contribute to a project that helps women living in extreme poverty. This
year’s appeal, Restoring Dignity: Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund,
will support Ethiopian women with this debilitating condition.
Obstetric fistula occurs as a result of several days of obstructed
labor without timely medical
intervention, usually a Caesarean section. The constant pressure of the
baby’s head in the birth canal causes a fistula (hole) to form between
the bladder and the vagina, and/or between the rectum and the vagina.
The baby usually dies and the mother is left with urine and waste
leaking from her body.
“Sadly, in Ethiopia, an obstetric fistula can be worse than death,”
said Leigh Wintz, executive director of Soroptimist International of the
Americas in Philadelphia. “The smell of constantly leaking body fluids
results in young women, many of them girls, being rejected and outcast
by their community. They are doomed to a life of shame and isolation.
This is why our December 10th Appeal is so critical in helping women
with this condition.”
An estimated 8,000 to 9,000 women in Ethiopia suffer with obstetric
fistula each year and don’t have the money for fistula repair or the
access to medical care that most women in developed nations have. At
least 93 percent of fistulas can be repaired, but three percent are so
badly damaged in childbirth, they cannot be healed.
Funds from the December 10th Appeal will help women who cannot be
fully cured by providing ongoing medical care at the Desta Mender
Village of the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In
addition, the self-help rural village provides skills and vocational
training to the women, encourages their independence and helps improve
their morale and self-esteem.
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Soroptimist Making a Difference for
Women Award _ A new name is being sought for this
Award. You may submit suggestions ro siahq@soroptimist .org.
5/2008 |
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The Making a Difference for Women
Award acknowledges 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. The program enables local
Soroptimist clubs and the Soroptimist organization to thank
these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist women
and girls. The program begins on the club level, where the type
of recognition varies. Award winners at the club level are
eligible for additional awards at other levels of the
organization. The finalist receives a $5,000 donation to the
charitable organization of her choice.
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Soroptimists STOP Trafficking, |
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SIA is pleased to announce
Soroptimists STOP Trafficking, a
new public awareness project addressing the trafficking of women
and girls for sexual exploitation. This new project will provide
information cards about sexual trafficking for participating
clubs to distribute in the community. In addition, clubs will
work to raise awareness through media and public events. The
project has been created in response to overwhelming input from
clubs and members indicating a desire for an SIA project that
addresses this serious global issue.
The project will launch in the United States on Friday,
January 11, 2008, the first National Day of Human Trafficking
Awareness. The launch will begin with a public event at
which clubs are asked to distribute specially designed flyers in
transportation centers in their area: airports, train stations
or bus depots. The event will focus on the public awareness
message: "Someone in this transportation center may be here
against her will," and will provide an excellent opportunity for
public awareness and to gain media exposure.
Participating clubs will be provided with professionally
designed cards and flyers; club instructions for the project and
launch event; and public awareness materials to ensure the
project is a success. The materials will be available in all SIA
languages. If your club would like to participate or has any
questions, contact siahq@soroptimist.org
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Project Sierra -$80000 has been donated
so far for this project. 5/2008 |
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Sierra
is a four year partnership between Soroptimist International and Hope
and Homes for Children which will transform the lives of some of the
most deprived children and women in the world.
Project SIerra: A Family
And A Future aims to raise £1 million ($2million USD) to help
disadvantaged women and children in Sierra Leone face their futures with
confidence.
BBy strengthening families at risk of breakdown, helping
young children living on the streets return home and empowering
vulnerable young mothers, Project SIerra will enable more children to
grow up in a caring family environment - giving them the opportunity to
fulfil their potential.
To learn how Project SIerra will achieve this, visit the
Project
Overview section.
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Disaster Relief Fund for Women and Girls |
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Soroptimist's Disaster Relief Fund for
Women and Girls targets the special needs of women and girls during
natural and man-made disasters. Women and girls are particularly
vulnerable during disasters and lack access to resources. They also
have special abilities to respond to disasters, which is often
overlooked. Soroptimist's disaster relief program mitigates the
barriers facing women/girls during disasters. In addition, the
program honors the commitments made by the United Nations in the
Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome Statement of the 46th
Session on the Commission on the Status of Women. Soroptimist grants
funds to local clubs for use in communities needing disaster relief.
Funds are pooled from voluntary contributions sent in from
Soroptimist members throughout the world. Soroptimist recently
disbursed disaster relief grants to: the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees to support Iraqi educational programs for
returning women refugees; the Ramona, California, Soroptimist club
to help women recovering from the fires in Southern California; and
women in El Chaco, Ecuador, to help rebuild the community's farming
infrastructure following an earthquake.
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Service Funds |
Service Funds are due on March 31st
of each year,
Remember
that you are responsible each year for $100 in service funds.
You may raise these either by writing a check, advertising in
our WHW ad booklet, or by using our banner to have your own
fundraiser. All funds raised under our banner must come to our
service fund. Each person that participates in an ad hoc fundraiser
is still responsible for a total of $100 in service funds.
(Example. 3 members hold a garage sale. They raise $310.
The total amount must come to our service fund. All 3 members
have covered their service funds. But if 3 members raise
$270, each member is still responsible for $10 more to cover
their service funds.) |
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Live your dreams |
Live Your Dreams" pins are
available at our club for sale at $3 each which is our cost. There is
more information on "Live Your Dreams" below and at the bottom of the
page.
TThe following information is from the
Soroptimists International of America Webstie. To read
more info, Just click here..
Despite much progress during the
last century, women and girls throughout the world
continue to face serious challenges. While they
represent about one-half of the world's
font size="2"population,
women suffer disproportionately from many social
problems. Approximately 70 percent of the 1.3
billion people who live on $1 a day are women. More
women between the ages of 15 and 44 die due to
gender-based violence than cancer, malaria, car
accidents and war combined. About 90 million girls
around the world are deprived of primary education.
These are but a few statistics illuminating the
obstacles facing women and girls around the world.
Soroptimist created the Live Your Dream campaign to
raise awareness about these challenges and inspire
women from all walks of life to realize their full
potential. |
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Good
Search
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Contribute through GoodSearch
GoodSearch is a
Yahoo-powered search engine that donates 50
percent of its advertising revenue (about a
penny per search) to the user's favorite charity. Ours,
of course, is SIA. The pennies add up quickly. Consider
that if only 1,000 members, friends and staff search the
Internet just twice a day, Soroptimist could earn $7,300
a year - just for doing something we do every day! If
we think bigger, for example, 10,000 users searching
twice a day will earn Soroptimist $73,000 a year!
All you have to do
is visit www.goodsearch.com and download the GoodSearch
toolbar. Enter 'Soroptimist' in the 'My Charity' field
and then every time you search the net on your computer,
don't forget to use GoodSearch!
Thank you for
using GoodSearch to help Soroptimist fund our programs
that improve the lives for women and girls. Let's see
how much we can get those pennies to add up!
b Note from Pat: This is not
Yahoo's standard bar
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LINK TO THE UPPER PINELLAS HOME PAGE
LINK TO TAMPA BAY AREA SOROPTIMIST PAGE
Link
To SCOUP Index
This newsletter is downloadable. It is best to set your
text to the smallest print. You will find this under VIEW in
your top
internet line. This will not print out as a newspaper but rather
as a running sheet. You may have to go onto the next page to see
a complete item. If you do not want a hard copy, you may save
this by clicking SAVE AS in your FILE in your top line. Save to
My Documents or make a separate Folder just for Soroptimists'
This newsletter is made from a template. You will find the
meeting announcements always in the same place.
Copyright 2008. Soroptimist International of Upper Pinellas
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This newsletter sponsored by The Silver Queen
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Marsha M 1/06
