Each year, Soroptimist International of Novato hosts a special meeting for people who would like to learn about our club, and might be interested in becoming a club member. Our special membership meeting will take place sometime in October. (Please return here for details when we get closer to October 2012.)

Any questions regarding membership can go directly to our membership chair, Sylvia Barry, who can be reached via email at sylvia@SylviaBarryRE.com or by calling (415) 717-0293.

Soroptimist International of Novato is delighted to announce that our federation organization, Soroptimist International of the Americas, has awarded a $10,000 grant to our local club to help Gilead House furnish the kitchen of their new home. In addition to the SIA Club grant, the Novato club has donated $3,000—funds raised locally through our many projects. The combined amount has purchased wonderful new kitchen appliances and will also fund life skills materials and supplies for health and nutrition classes that Club members will help teach.

Gilead House has been serving the women of Marin since 1998. The Gilead House mission is to bring hope to low income and vulnerable homeless or at-risk women and their children by providing transitional housing and life skills education that lead toward a stable life and permanent housing. For many years, Gilead House has supported three families at a time in a rented home; a new and larger home that will house six families was recently built in downtown Novato.

Soroptimist International of Novato has supported Gilead House for many years. In addition to annual donations of funds, the club has implemented an annual Holiday Gift program. Resident moms provide the club a wish list of gifts for their children, and club members purchase the gifts for the mothers to give their children. “It means so much to the moms and their children to see that people care. It is part of the hope that is Gilead House,” says Jacque McLaughlin, Gilead House Executive Director. “We are very thankful for this grant and the longtime support of Soroptomist International of Novato. You are making a difference,” she further stated.

For more information about Gilead House, go to: www.gileadhouse.org.

Japan is suffering the devastating effects of multiple disasters—earthquake, tsunamis and radiation from malfunctioning nuclear power plants. Soroptimist has set up a special fund to collect donations to assist women and girls following the disaster. These funds will be used to support future projects enabling women and girls to rebuild their lives.

Soroptimist is not an immediate disaster relief organization; however, women and girls in Japan will most certainly need help after immediate needs are met. Soroptimist will be monitoring the situation and may respond earlier if a project is identified to meet women’s special health care or safety needs in the upcoming weeks. Please also check the SIA Facebook page for news of the disaster and its specific effects on women and girls.

If you can help please click here to donate.

Judy Schafer of Novato was recently awarded the $1,000 Women’s Opportunity Award.  Judy is a single mother of a teen aged daughter, is a full-time student at College of Marin, and works at a local restaurant.  Judy is looking forward to transferring to UC Berkeley in the fall.  We congratulate Judy for her hard work and commitment and wish her the very best.

The purpose of the Women’s Opportunity Award is to assist women who have faced economic and personal hardships to obtain the skills, training and education necessary to improve their employment status and standard of living for themselves and their family. SI Novato is honored to help out one deserving woman to attain her goal.

Nicole Thompson is this year’s recipient of SI Novato’s $500 Violet Richardson Award.    Nicole lives in Novato and is a senior at St. Vincent’s High School.  The selection committee was impressed with Nicole’s volunteer efforts for organizations in Marin County and especially impressed with Nicole’s commitment to helping the people of New Orleans.  For three summers she has journeyed to New Orleans with St. Francis Church to help build houses for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  We wish Nicole good luck and continued service as she enters college next year.

Violet Richardson was the president of the first Soroptimist club in Alameda in 1921.  She was active in her community, committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women.  The Soroptimist established the Violet Richardson Award to honor the memory of this unique woman and her dedication to volunteer action.

GraceAnn Walden,  a well-known San Francisco food writer, food critic, restaurant consultant and San Francisco walking tour leader, recently spoke at a Soroptimist International of Novato luncheon held on March 2, 2011 at Rickey’s Restaurant at Inn Marin in Novato. Ms Walden also writes a free e-newsletter, The Yummy Report, in which she talks about restaurants, food, chefs, wine and anything of interest to foodies.

Soroptimist International of Novato, a service club benefiting women and girls, is hosting its annual membership luncheon at noon on Wednesday, October 7 at Mary’s Pizza Shack, 121 San Marin Drive in Novato. Please join us for an hour or so of good food, camaraderie and fun!
 

Our speaker will be Emily Gates, much-loved music teacher at San Marin High School, Teacher of the Year in Novato and Marin County, and inductee of the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
 

Ms Gates will speak about the Marin Summer Theater, a new program for student actors, musicians, dancers and technicians that made its debut this summer in Novato with three ambitious productions. Young people between the ages of 13–22 from 17 different schools and universities took part. The San Marin Music Boosters sponsored the summer program with support from San Marin High School and the Novato Unified School District.
 

Soroptimist International of Novato is a member of Soroptimist International, an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world.
 

For more information, please contact Patricia Hess, 883-8309, or check out our website: www.soropnovato.org.
If you plan to come to the lunch, please RSVP by e-mail to Patricia Hess (hess949@comcast.net) by Monday, October 5 at the latest, so we can be sure to have enough food on the table!
 

We hope to see you on Wednesday, October 7!

Women’s Opportunity Award
Soroptimist International of Novato is now accepting applications for their annual Women’s Opportunity Award. $1,000 is awarded each year to a local woman who has primary financial responsibility for her family and who is seeking to improve her economic status by gaining additional skills, training or education. The applicant must be a Novato resident or go to school in Novato.

This year, applicants are able to apply on-line. Go to the website: soropnovato.org, or email rroberts.novato@gmail.com for more information or to request the writeable application form. Paper applications are available at Novato Human Needs and the College of Marin, Indian Valley Campus.

 Applications must be received by December 15.
 
Contact for submission:  Patricia Hess
Home: 883-8309

Work:  same

Email: hess949@comcast.net

Contact for Women’s Opportunity Award:  Renee Roberts

Email: rroberts.novato@gmail.com