Stories

 

 

 

 

 

 

The month of March is celebrated globally as Women’s History Month and March 8 marks International Women’s Day, a holiday which commemorates the achievement of women and spotlights the important work being done to advance gender equity.

For almost as long as International Women’s Day has existed, Soroptimists around the world have generously devoted our time, talents and resources to help women and girls thrive. The more women and girls we serve, the more our impact ripples outward to create waves of change. With education and training, we empower women and girls to make the best decisions for themselves and contribute positively to their communities. That’s why International Women’s Day is such a meaningful time of year for our Federation, Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA).

This year SIA is celebrating the strength and spirit of women around the world its ‘Walk for Women’ event. Everyone can participate—just get moving and share your #WhyIWalk! SITD is supporting this event by having a walk-meet-up Saturday, March 23, meeting at the Legacy Trail bridge on East River Street at 11:00 am. So, ladies, let’s lace us our sneakers and move for our mission and help spread awareness about the stories, struggles, and strength of women! This has the added benefit of making us healthier by walking which in turn makes us better able to serve.

SIA also hosted its Third Annual International Women's Day virtual Tea Party and is an active voice at the Commission for the Status of Women at the United Nations in NYC this month. This is why our club, SI Truckee Donner, tries to schedule our Celebrating the Best for Women (CBW) award reception in March close to Women’s Day. Next Thursday, March 21, we will celebrate the recipients of our Violet Richardson Award which recognizes girls engaged in Volunteer action, our Live Your Dream Award which gives access to education, our Career Advancement Scholarship, which provides for continuing education, and our 2023 Ruby Award, our Woman of Distinction, which honors a woman who has made an extraordinary difference in the lives of women and girls. This event showcases our club’s continuity of commitment to the women and girls of Truckee, at all stages of their life journey, with programs that embody our great Soroptimist mission.

 

 

On Saturday morning, March 23, four hearty SITD members, one potential new member and one canine companion, Jordy, met  together and walked the Legacy Trail along the Truckee River. We did this in the spirit of celebrating the strength of women around the world in conjunction with SIA's 'Walk for Women' event. The weather was absolutely stunning with intense blue patches of sky contrasting with the pristine new fallen snow. The conversation was engaging as we learned more about each other and fostered ever deepening friendships. When we enjoy being together as women, even with so many diverse interests, we find our commonality in being effective Soroptimists grows even stronger. #WhyIWalk!

 

 

 

As the Nominating Committee works to identify members who are interested in serving on the SITD Board of Directors and our members consider where they might best fit, we wanted to provide further details for each of the board positions. Remember, an active and engaged membership is critical to our club's success. 

President: The President presides over all Club Board Meetings and Business Meetings, which are held at noon on the first and second Thursday of each month. They prepare the agenda for each meeting and manage the annual club calendar. They are encouraged to attend all club events and may, but are not required, attend committee meetings. They represent the club to the community. Because of the time commitment, the President does not serve on any committees during their tenure.

President-elect: The President-elect attends all Board and Business meetings and is ready to step into the role of President as necessary. The President-elect works to fill the committee roles each year and to schedule monthly program meetings in those months when an alternate event is not scheduled. These generally occur on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Because of the time commitment involved, the President-elect does not serve on any committees during their tenure. However, they have the option to attend committee meetings. The President-elect steps into the role of President in the following year.

Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary attends all Board and Business meetings and records all pertinent information in the minutes. The Recording Secretary then submits these minutes to the Board and Members for approval during the subsequent meeting.

Great fun was had at the annual holiday brunch! Constance graciously hosted with the help of the committee. Delicious food, socializing and a spirited gift exchange made for a delightful afternoon.

 

 

Laura presented some helpful tips on how to access the SITD website and app:

 

Go to the app store. Go to the search bar and put in ClubRunner and double click to install.

For the website:

After you retrieve your login credentials, you will be able to access the SITD website and the Administration page. The Administration page is a member's only page where you will be able to edit your profile, email other members and contribute content to the site. You should see your name at the top right-hand corner of the webpage.

 

 

On October 3, 1921, Soroptimist International was chartered in Oakland, California…102 years ago. At that time, women could not join Rotary or any other service organizations, so we started our own. See the picture of the first meeting of the Founders organization.

 

One of the first SI projects locally was environmental protection of redwoods grove near Crescent City. You can see the bench for SI there. We also helped with vocational training for veterans.

 

On November 3, 1971, SI-Truckee Donner was chartered. For 52 years we have been supporting women, families and our community.

 

In 1982, we purchased the first infant monitor at the Tahoe Forest Hospital. And one of our first scholarships was for a woman to become a midwife in 1979.

 

We and the other clubs worked to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed. Because Nevada would not sign it, we stopped holding our annual convention there for several years.

 

Over 20 years ago, we started the STEPP program for teen mothers to make sure that they could complete their high school education and their children were taken care of.

 

 

 

We are able to help so many, because we work together to host successful fundraisers, including the Wine and Restaurant Faire, Soroptishop, See’s candy sales and to receive grants from local organizations who support our mission. Thank you, Soroptimists, for all your hard work and joyful friendships!

 

Below are a few pictures including the first SI meeting in Oakland with 80 members. And two Soroptimist International pictures that demonstrate our international reach. 

 

It’s fascinating to look at all our SITD albums documenting our work over the past years. We will have a few of the SITD history books at the next meeting for you to view.

 

 

 

 

 

The SITD Development Advisory Committee (DAC) is designed to help SITD develop donor relationships to expand our scholarship programs.
 
Who is she?
Tanya Gill, Optometrist is all about eyes and female entrepreneurship. From practice owner to national lecturer to founder of We Love Eyes, she is a believer in hard work and making dreams come true. In 2014 she founded We Love Eyes, a collection of completely natural eye makeup removers and eyelid cleansers as a passion project.
 
A few years later, the passion project outgrew the optometry practice – and the decision was made to sell one of the businesses. Now living full time in Truckee, CA, Dr. Gill enjoys working from home as CEO, founder and formulator for We Love Eyes. Fully embracing the Truckee lifestyle, you can find Dr. Gill XC skiing during the winter and swimming laps in the summer. She lives in Glenshire with her husband and 3 French bulldogs.
 
What inspired you to donate to the SITD CAS scholarship?
 When I heard the words “education is empowerment,” I knew I was in the right place. As a 1st generation American, and the first person in my family to graduate from college, I am living proof that education IS empowerment. It is a tremendous honor to be given this opportunity with Soroptimist International Truckee Donner. My dream with the We Love Eyes Foundation is to change somebody’s life, so that one day, they come back to SITD to donate and pay it full circle.  
 
What piece of advice would you want to give to our scholarship applicants?
Luck doesn’t happen, it’s made. Putting yourself in a position to receive opportunity is essential to achieving your dreams. So, take that extra credit assignment. Work those extra hours. Save that extra dollar. You got this!
 
Any message to other female entrepreneurs out there?
 If you too are a female entrepreneur living and breathing this beautiful life in Truckee, CA. I invite you to reach out to Soroptimist International Truckee Donner. I can’t do this alone. Let’s change the world together, xo.