Our Local Focus Includes:

CURRENT PROJECTS

Reds, Whites, and Blooms
Our annual Spring fundraiser at Sweet Cheeks Winery.  Proceeds fund our current projects and awards below.

Live Your Dream Award
Our organization’s major women’s education project.  The award assists women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects.  Our club gives three grants annually.

Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls 

This project helps girls grow up to be strong, successful, happy adults. Dream It, Be It targets girls in secondary school who face obstacles to their future success. It provides girls with access to professional role models, career education and the resources to live their dreams.

Birthday Baskets

Everything in a basket for a child’s birthday party are assembled for the children of women who are receiving assistance.

The Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence
Our club joins with other Soroptimist clubs to raise awareness about domestic violence as a workplace concern. Cards are distributed through the community in women’s restrooms in a workplace setting.  The cards provide information about the issue and how to access assistance.

Springfield High School “Meredith’s clothing closet and pantry for girls”

SI Eugene spoke with the Springfield High School Student and Family Resource Coordinator and asked how SI Eugene can assist with a “Free” store for girls who attend Springfield High School.  [Statistics: The graduation rate at Springfield High School is lower than the Oregon state average.  Top reasons for dropping out are homeless students, family obligations and financial difficulties]
SI Eugene went to work collecting and purchasing hoodies, hats, gloves, socks, sanitary pads, tampons, underwear, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, deodorant and hairbrushes.  Students and families are likely to seek support from those people who know them the best, their local community school.  The items donated will help reduce obstacles to learning and keep girls focused on academics.  We will continue to support this cause to assist with the goal of reducing barriers to learning and keep Springfield High School female students focused on academics.

Journals and Chromebooks to the Willamette Family, Inc.

SI Eugene provided women of Willamette Family, Inc., Health, Wellness & Recovery Services with hardback journals.  The journals are very important in therapy to increase awareness and insight, promote change and growth, and further develop a woman’s sense of self.  Through writing, a woman in treatment is able to work toward her goals.  The act of writing things down often relieves tension and can bring clarity to the issue at hand.

In addition, SI Eugene spoke with Willamette Family, Inc., Women’s Residential Program Director and the Program Director of Child and Family Services and asked how SI Eugene can help develop a computer lending library for women in the residential program.  By providing Chromebooks, Soroptimist International of Eugene will be helping to reduce obstacles to learning.  Women in the residential program will be able to check out the Chromebooks when taking classes to obtain their GED or taking college and/or trade school courses enabling them to focus on their academics.  Access to education is the most effective way to help women reach their full potential and live their dream.  When women and girls are educated, they have opportunity, choice and power to make healthy decisions for themselves and their families.

We hope to be able to work with Willamette Family in the future for educational purposes such as pay for GED exams and college or trade school applications fees.

Donation of Journals to Willamette Family

PAST PROJECTS

Ophelias Place – Hands On/Supplies

Womenspace – 10 years of Cash Grants

Looking Glass Early Evaluation and Treatment Center – Hands On Labor/$10,000 cash grant for appliances & mattresses

Birth To Three – 5 years of Cash Grants

Willamette Family Inc – Hands On Labor/Toddler Gear

Child Care, Inc – Labor/Cash Grants

Eugene Mission, Women’s Wing – $15,000  cash grant

Senior Companion Project – $20,000

Bags of Love – Hands on Labor

Soroptimist Teen Dating Violence Project
Our members distribute Soroptimist Teen Dating Violence Bookmarks through the schools and other resources, that raises awareness among teenagers about teen dating violence and provides them with a clear understanding of healthy verses unhealthy relationships.

Portia Project
The project was formed in 2002 to provide legal assistance to incarcerated women.  Soroptimist International of Eugene has supplied phone cards in the past and continues to support the project each year.

The Soroptimist Breast & Gynecologic Cancer Assistance Fund
We celebrated our Goal Reached – to secure and sustain the Breast & Gynecologic Cancer Assistance Fund for many years to come.  Proceeds from our annual RUN/WALK TO LIVE provided funding for emergency cash grants to Lane County women who are having financial hardship while undergoing cancer treatment. These funds help pay for everyday expenses that are often forgotten in the wake of trying to find a cure and/or research such as utility bills, childcare, auto expense, rent, respite care and house cleaning to name a few.  For more information please email us at: si******@so*********.net

[NOTE:  To view the email address click on the link]

Sponsors, Inc
The Sponsors Women’s Program provides transitional housing for up to 19 women and has been the recipient of our generosity beginning in 2012. Besides our pledge of $50,000 to the program to furnish their kitchen.  We also furnished their library, built plant beds with irrigation system, painted a mural inside and gave teaching seminars on cooking, budgeting and dressing for success.

Our Global Focus Includes:

United Nations
Soroptimist International has General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council, United Nations, (ECOSOC); Operational Relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Special List of the International Labor Organization (ILO); Official Relations with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Consultative Status with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Friendship Links
Clubs can establish friendship with specific clubs throughout the world by exchanging visits, projects, or simply with correspondence. SI Eugene has five Friendship Links; clubs in America del Sur, South Wales, England and three in Japan (Ishigaki, Kyoto and Nara)

Soroptimist Project Matching
This project matches resources between SI Europe and SI of the Americas that assists clubs to work an similar projects.

Educate To Lead
Soroptimist clubs around the world use education, empowerment and enabling opportunities to improve the lives and status of women and girls in need.  December 10th of every year is the Annual Day of Action for Soroptimists.

Disaster Grants for Women & Girls

These grants target the special needs of women and girls during natural and man-made disaster. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable during disasters and lack access to resources.