Happy 2023 everyone!
I hope the new year is starting off right for you all. If you’re like me, you are busy with your New Year’s resolutions. I wanted to take a moment to remind you of a few things for the new year:
Proxies: proxies are very important to ensure that we have a quorum at our general business meetings. The proxy form is available on our website. If you have any problems locating it, please contact me. Remember, proxies are only good for six months. Name any member you would like to cast your vote, but it cannot be the president.
Board meetings: board meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at Dickson Realty at noon. All members are invited to attend, and participate in the discussion. However, you cannot cast a vote if you are not elected to the board.
Grants: we find ourselves with available funds for programs devoted to women and girls in the area. Please let me know if you have any suggested programs, or encourage potential grantees to apply for a grant. The application form is available online.
Thank you all for your wonderful support of the club during 2022 and I look forward to a successful and prosperous 2023!
The 2023 Wine Tasting and Restaurant Faire Committee is off and running with a great team. Two key positions remain yet to be filled. These are co-coordinator or coordinator-in-training for both Silent Auction, working with Shirley Phelan, and Sponsorship, working with Pati Johnson. Please contact Susan Horstor Marie Strassburger, event co-coordinators, of your interest in volunteering for one of these positions. Also remember the date for our biggest fundraiser is now the second Saturday in June, the 10th. Kindly reserve that date on your calendar as every member is needed to ensure our success.
THE RUBY AWARDS
(anyone in the community
can nominate a candidate)
For the past 25+ years, SITD has honored a local woman who is worthy of special recognition for making outstanding contributions over a period of ten years, with at least five of those years being directly in our community. This is also a woman recognized by her peers and by the people with whom she comes in contact as being a woman of exemplary character and integrity. She demonstrates leadership qualities and is an ideal “role model” for other women.
The Soroptimist Ruby Award recognizes and honors the first federation president, Ruby Lee Minar. A ruby is also a deep red gemstone associated with wisdom, importance, vitality, strength, vivacity, power and love: all words embodying the strong and compassionate women who are our award recipients. Honorees are ordinary women who have worked in extraordinary ways to benefit women and girls.
It's time for us to nominate and select a Ruby Award winner this year. We will honor the winner at our Celebrating the Best for Women event March 14th.
Philippa Nigg is our coordinator. Please send Philippa nominations of women who you think should be honored this year. We will be accepting nominations through January.
December
Made it Happen
Angela White received the “Made it Happen“ award in December for all of her hard work on the “Toys for Tots“ program. In connection with this program, our club finds locations to place donation boxes, monitors those boxes, delivers them to an airport hangar, sorts them and ultimately ensures distribution. Thanks to Angela and her team, over 200 children in the area (from babies to teenagers) received Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. Cheers to Angela!
New Member
LINDA SLATTERY Inducted
Linda Slattery was inducted into SITD by Lisa Barr, Membership Chair, and her sponsor Charlene Simmons. We are pleased to welcome her and she has already agreed to be Coordinator-In-Training for the Toy Drive next year and helped Angela White this year.
Soroptimist International awarded Sierra Services $6000 toward a new stove. They prepare over 800 meals per week for more than 125 people including those in Meals on Wheels, the Warming Center for Homeless, and Sierra Apartments. In addition, during COVID they provided free meals for anyone over 60 who was medically unable to leave their home. Their 55 volunteer drivers provide meals and a warm smile to seniors in our community who are homebound. Over 60% of the recipients are women.
SITD President, Denise Trani-Morris, marveled, “Sierra Senior Services serves hundreds of the most vulnerable in our community. We are pleased to help them purchase a new stove so they can continue their work.”
The picture includes (L-R) Derek Edgel, Chris Seitz, Denise Trani-Morris and Chef David Lutz. A press release has been sent to Sierra Sun and Moonshine Ink for publication.
About 20 members braved the post storm roads and gathered for the rescheduled Holiday "brunch" held the evening of December 13th at Shirley Phelan's home. The Board provided traditional brunch faire of quiches, salads, and baked goods for all to enjoy. Susan Horst led a fun gift exchange that provided lots of cozy gifts and corny jokes and plenty of laughter. We also collected toys for the toy drive and toasted the new year to come.
For over 30 years, SITD has coordinated the Truckee toy drive for Community Christmas, now called Community Cares. This year Angela White, coordinator, with Linda Slattery (CIT), Philippa Nigg and Lynette Powell coordinated the event. Nearly 500 children received the 1500 toys, including 8 bicycles. Those children are part of 246 families. The California Highway Patrol donated 13 helmets and moved all the toy bags and toys from the airport storage to the Recreation Center for distribution. The Boy Scouts also helped.
Joan Kreamer, Joyce Brady and Pam English prepared the 2-day Dream It Be It Program (DIBI) program at Truckee High School. The program was presented in the Wellness Center with Specialist, Antje Thompson, on November 15th and December 6th. In the 5 hours of class time we addressed personality traits and values related to careers, dreaming of a future, overcoming obstacles, making SMART goals and stress management with both discussion and activities. We had a number of career speakers, all of whom faced challenges and changes as their lives progressed. SITD members Pati Johnson and Marie Strassburger discussed their career paths. On the second day, we also included applying for scholarships, taking courses at Sierra College, mentoring and managing stress. Chris Seitz helped on the final day coordinating the arrival and departure of the speakers.
There were 7 girls in the first session and 9 in the second. All but 1 or 2 girls felt more confident about their future, more prepared to pursue their goals and had more tools to overcome obstacles. All agreed they were introduced to professional role models. Most of the girls also noted they need more mentoring and help with college funding. Several SITD members have offered to become mentors to the girls at Truckee High.
We plan to offer another program in next fall and encourage other SITD members to work with us. This is a signature program designed by Soroptimist International of the Americas and we have adapted the curriculum to best suit our local students. Let Joan or Pam know if you are interested in helping.
During long holidays many students and their families experience food insecurity. SITD has generously helped to keep the food closet at Sierra High stocked with food. In past years, the S-Club, which is a high school leadership club, has maintained the food closet. Since COVID, SITD has not sponsored a S-Club at Sierra High School (SHS).
When asked, Alicia Gebel, SHS counsellor, noted the food closet was almost empty. Usually, we ask the members to bring staples to a business meeting and then share it with the school. This year the board decided to request $200 from the club to buy the items suggested and needed.
Here is a picture of a student and Alicia in front of the donated food at SHS. Items requested were packaged pasta dinners, energy bars, soups, rice dinners, and canned tuna.
Every year we have one or two SUDS events for potential members to learn about our club. On December 8th, Lisa Barr and Constance Ledna, Membership Committee, sponsored an event at Alibi with drinks and appetizers provided for our guests. Fourteen members and 12 guests attended. Everyone was so busy talking that no pictures were taken.
I was welcomed to SITD at the December 8, 2022 meeting.
During her Bee Buzz speech, Linda shared with us all the reasons she should
not be living in Truckee! Not being much of a winter warrior, it is the community
and the people that drew her to live here full time.
I am a transplant to Truckee after spending 40+ years in the Bay Area, raising 2 children while juggling a full time job working in high tech in Silicon Valley. I was a software development manager at Sun Microsystems
before my first retirement in 2006. Instead of letting one of my staff go during one of
the many layoffs, I raised my hand and volunteered to leave the company.
The 2015 move to Truckee was prompted by my divorce in which I got the best
part of marital settlement - the rental house in Truckee. My second retirement was
from the Truckee Donner Land Trust in June 2022 as their office manager. After
5 years focusing on Environment, it is time for a focus on Social Service which brings
me to Soroptimists!
I have jumped in with both feet at CIT helping Angela White, Lynette Powell, and Philippa Nigg on the 2022 Toy Drive with Truckee Community Cares.
Traditionally, the holiday season is a time to highlight the truly human qualities of peace, of generosity, and of understanding. No matter how we choose to celebrate this season . . . this time of year reminds us that the beliefs that unite us are far greater than those which divide us.
It is also the time of year many of us begin the process of reflecting on the past year and planning for how we want to show up in the coming year ahead. So, I will leave you with the following:
The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. Do you have a name for this next chapter in mind?
Laura Mohun presented the SOLT at the Business Meeting as an activity for members. The activity was to use each letter of the word Soroptimist to highlight our mission.
Submitted by Susan Horst. Historically, SITD’s largest fundraiser, our annual Wine Tasting and Restaurant Faire, has been held the first Saturday in June. However, with the change of Sierra Nevada Region’s Annual Conference to the first weekend in June this year and going forward, we have pushed the date of our Wine Tasting to the second weekend in June. Save the Date now for Saturday, June 10, 2023!
Susan Horst and Marie Strassburger are sharing the event coordinator position this year. Marie masterfully guided our record-breaking event last June. We are calling all club members to help in some fashion to insure we have continuing success again this year. All sub-coordinator positions and coordinators in training should be in place shortly. Everyone is needed for day-of-event volunteering, so please plan now to be in Truckee on June 10! Thank you in advance for your willingness to serve.
Members, please share the news that we are now accepting applications for our Career Advancement Scholarship until February 10th. Click hereto learn more.
December
I was welcomed to SITD at the December 8, 2022 meeting.
