Women’s Opportunity Awards

The Woman’s Opportunity Awards program is a major service project for Soroptimists. The awards improve the lives of women by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. Each year, our club provides cash awards to assist women in overcoming personal difficulties and improving their lives with education and skills training. The women, who provide the primary source of financial support for their families, may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, including books, childcare and transportation.

Club recipients become eligible for additional cash awards at other levels of the organization, including three $10,000 finalist awards.

Many Women’s Opportunity Awards recipients have overcome enormous obstacles in their quest for a better life, including poverty, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse. Each year, more than $800,000 is disbursed through various levels of the organization to help women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.

Violet Richardson Award

The Violet Richardson Award, named in honor of the first president of Soroptimist, is a recognition program for young women ages 14-17 engaged in volunteer action within their community or school. The award is given to young women whose volunteer activities make the community and world a better place.

All awards are given for activities conducted on a volunteer basis. Volunteer projects can include, but are not limited to, projects that address social problems such as homelessness, violence, drug abuse, unemployment, illiteracy, discrimination, AIDS, and pollution. Projects may assist any group including the elderly, the disabled and mentally or emotionally challenged groups.

This award is based solely on her volunteer work. This award is an opportunity to honor a young girl who might not otherwise receive recognition. She may not be the best student, the best athlete or the most popular girl in school, but she is committed to making the world a better place.

Ruby Award: for Women Helping Women

Around the world, many women are working to improve the lives of women and girls. Some women work to improve conditions for women and girls through their personal or volunteer efforts; others do so through professional avenues.

The Ruby Award honors women who are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women. This award recognizes those women who have worked to improve the lives of women and girls, who have had an impact on the lives of women and girls and who have inspired and encouraged other women. Examples would be a woman who helps to establish a domestic violence shelter, a woman who starts a mentoring program for at-risk girls or a woman who lobbies her company to provide on-site childcare.

Know someone deserving of the Ruby Award? Please take the time to let them know how much their work means by honoring them with a nomination.

Congratulations to the 2011 Award Winners:

Ruby Award – Detective Lucy Buttell
Violet Richardson – Theresa Genovea Albea
Women’s Opportunity Award – Christina K. Miranda