Recent Program Meetings

Our club Vice President, Mary Lively, has given us some WONDERFUL speakers as of late! A few weeks ago, we were entertained and enlightened by Cindy Morus, professional Online Business Manager. In addition to working with businesses to help them uncover overlooked opportunities that will help increase their bottom line, she also spoke about using the same principles and techniques to enable us, as Soroptimists, to reach out to even more, to affect even more of the community with our volunteer and charitable work. We all went away with her mantra, "How am I going to serve more people?" singing in our ears. To learn more about Cindy and how she can help your business, check out her website at www.CindyMorus.com.

One of our latest speakers was Janet Stauffer, who is running for District 7 Circuit Court Judge (Position 2). Ms. Stauffer spoke about her 23 years of experience working within the Oregon Circuit Courts and emphasized her focus on improving the accessiblity of our legal system to ALL members of our community, including those for whom English is a second language, and her continued involvement with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and Juvenile Court. If elected, Janet Stauffer will be the FIRST female Circuit Judge in this District and will bring her thoughtful, respectful and efficient skill sets to the job. Learn more about Janet Stauffer and her campaign at www.JanetStaufferForJudge.com.

Most recently, May Street Elementary School teacher and Child Development Specialist, Susan Jepson-DeResta, LCSW warmed our hearts (and lit a few fires!) by reading aloud letters written by her students who have participated in her innovative "Gutsy Girls" after school program. Unfortunately, the program has been cut for the current school year due to loss of funding that provided a bus ride home for the participating girls. With permission, we have reprinted a couple of the letters here: (spelling and grammar reproduced!)

"I was in Gutsy Girls last year and I loved it. I had alot of fun, and I learnd alot about how to just say no to bullies. But when I heard Gutsy Girls was close to not happening this year, I was pretty upset. Gutsy Girls means alot to me, and I would be heart-broken if girls in the future could not enjoy this awesome club. I know for sure that I need Gutsy Girls. Love, Casey"

"Dear Soroptimist Club, Gutsy Girls helps girls in 4th and 5th grade to relize that they are beautiful inside and out. Ms. Sue does a great job running it and we all want to keep doing it. Gutsy Girls helps build trust, courage, responsibility, and being able to be yourself around all people. We need money for us to keep doing this program. I hope you will be able to help us because Gutsy Girls is a big part of our life. Sincerely, Morgan"

The room was abuzz after Susan's presentation and within the next 24 hours, over $700 in donations (enough to fund the school bus rides and reinstate the program!) were collected by Soroptimists - AMAZING things can happen when women get together!!! If you would like to help support Gutsy Girls, please contact Ms. Jepson-DeResta at sjepson@hoodriver.k12.or.us.

JOIN SIHR!
Send your name, address and phone number to SIHR, Post Office Box 51, Hood River, OR 97031 or email Carolyn at carolyn@bci-grp.com or call 541-386-3990.

Women's Opportunity Award Applications Now Being Accepted

The Soroptimist International clubs of Hood River and Mt. Adams in White Salmon have pooled resources. Together the two clubs are offering SEVEN $1,000 Women's Opportunity Awards to Gorge women heads of household. Applications are now available; they are due back by December 15, 2009.

Women's Opportunity Awards provide help for women who have primary financial repsonsiblity for their households, whether single or married. The purpose of the Women's Opportunity Award is to help further a recipient's education to improve the lives of her and her family.

The Women's Opportunity Award is NOT a scholarship; awards can be used for any educational expenses, including tuition, childcare, transportation or textbooks. The seven winners will be notified in late December. One of the awards will be open to a previous recipient.

Michele Patrick, a student who received an Award in 2008, said, "The Soroptimist Club's very generous award gave me the breathing room I needed to be able to focus on my studies for a future career in nursing."

Together the Mt. Adams and the Hood River clubs sponsor The Winter Gala, an important fundraiser for the Women's Opportunity Awards. "Our Soroptimist clubs raise funds locally so that we can help women in our communities, " said SIHR President Lisa Hargrave. "Generous community support will fund seven awards this year."

To be eligible for this award, applicants must be enrolled or accepted in a college or vocational school program. Two of the seven recipients will compete for a $3,000 Soroptimist regional award in April 2011.

Applications are available at the Hood River County Library and the Whitson Elementary School in White Salmon. You may also download the 3 page application from this blog post (see above).

Completed applications are due by December 15, 2009. Send them to: SIHR, Post Office Box 51, Hood River, OR 97031 or SIMA, Post Office Box 152, White Salmon, WA 98762. Completed applications may also be dropped off at the Hood River County Library or the Whitson Elementary School.

If you have any questions about the awards or the application process, please contact June Knudson at 541-387-7062 or email her at junek@gorge.net.

JOIN SIHR!
Send your name, address and phone number to SIHR, Post Office Box 51, Hood River, OR 97031 or email Carolyn at carolyn@bci-grp.com or call 541-386-3990.

Women of Distinction Award Recipients

Soroptimist of Hood River is honored to present the 2009 winners of its Women of Distinction award, given annually to Hood River County women who have made a significant difference in the life of our county. JoAnn Wittenberg of Cascade Locks, Joella Dethman and Jan Veldhuisen Virk of Hood River will be recognized at a luncheon in their honor on Wednesday, November 4th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Best Western Hood River Inn Gorge Room. The community is invited to celebrate the dedication of these three amazing women. Tickets for the awards luncheon are available from Waucoma Bookstore for $15 per person.

JoAnn Wittenberg and her family moved to Cascade Locks School in the 1960s to teach. Her nominators and supporters say that the countless ways she has been involved in Cascade Locks has made a huge difference in the life of that community and Hood River County. In addition to working and raising a family, JoAnn has served as a 4-H club leader and County Fair judge, as a parenting education coordinator and facilitator, on the City Planning Commission, as a CLIK volunteer (working to prevent alcohol and tobacco use among Cascade Locks school children), organizer of a popular community Christmas celebration, organizer and teacher of a County Extension class for older adults, and an active participant in leadership of the local Lioness Club. As part of the local quilting group, she helps make quilts for each Cascade Locks kindergarten student.

When JoAnn moved from classroom teacher to caseworker for the Department of Human Services, she was charged with placing children in both foster care families and in adoptive homes. Her nominators can think of no one more passionate and compassionate for the needs of these most vulnerable members of our community. In 1987, JoAnn and a group of other individuals recognized the need to help new parents get themselves and their babies off to a good, healthy start. New Parent Services grew from their concerns and continues today as one of the cornerstones for creating healthy families in Hood River County. She also represents Hood River County on the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority Board, helping to provide affordable housing throughout the Gorge.
Joella Dethman began volunteering in the early 1980s when her children were young, serving as the heart and hands of "Make It Click," a child car safety seat rental program for families who couldn't afford to buy one. Joella not only kept track of the over 100 car seats, she also cleaned and repaired each returned seat; some had been used for several years without being cleaned. More recently, Joella found a way to buy car seats at a reduced cost and sell them to families in need. Joella and a group of volunteers teach parents how to use the seats, make sure each seat is properly fitted in the car and the child properly fitted in the seat. She also organizes car seat clinics throughout the Gorge, helping all parents and other caring adults double-check that their child's safety seat is installed properly.

In 1993, Joella became executive director of Hood River County's Commission on Children and Families, where whe works tirelessly to ensure all people in our county are treated with respect and dignity. She has served on and led work groups striving to bring better mental health, drug and alcohol treatment services to the comunity, increase access to health care, reduce school dropout rates, increase literacy levels, prevent unwanted teen pregnancies, reduce domestic and child abuse rates and increase the number of well-trained child caregivers, help develop a juvenile crime prevention system and parenting education. As one of her nominators put it, "Joella doesn't work at the job, she lives it, volunteering hundreds of hours each year to promote healthy lives."

Jan Veldhuisen Virk began volunteering in her three daughters' classrooms and schools in 1996. Just three years later, she was elected to the Hood River County School District Board of Directors, where she has served as both vice-chair and chair and was recently re-elected to another four year term. Jan was insturmental in passing two local option levies and chaired the school bond levy campaign in 2000. Following that successful campaign, she was invited to speak at the Oregon School Board Association Bonds and Ballots workshop on how to run a successful school bond election campaign.

In addition to her many volunteer hours as a board member, Jan has been a dedicated "soccer mom," not only for her children, but for many others who might not otherwise be involved in extracurricular activities. One supporter wrote, "Jan volunteers above and beyond her required duties. Her visibility in the schools, helping with local projects and living the dual roles of parent and Board member, has created a bond of leadership and trust throughout the school district."

Photos by Denise Rehse Watson/www.PhotosensitivePortraits.blogspot.com

JOIN SIHR!
Send your name, address and phone number to SIHR, Post Office Box 51, Hood River, OR 97031 or email Carolyn at carolyn@bci-grp.com or call 541-386-3990.