As we settle into 2023, I think this is a good time to reflect on our Club’s accomplishments.
Due to the hard work and diligence of many of our enthusiastic members we have increased our fundraising which, in turn, allows us to award larger scholarships and make a bigger impact in supporting community programs which best serve women and girls. While we all work together as a Club I want to especially thank Chris Seitz and Susan Westgarth for developing our printed materials that have been instrumental in helping us get generous grants for our Club.
Marion Thatch and her Scholarship committee are working to review applications for our Career Advancement scholarship program; Lynette Powell has been coordinating the Live Your Dream applications and judging and Philippa Nigg and Nancy Wallis have reviewed and chosen our Ruby Award winner. These winners will be honored at our Celebrating the Best for Women (CBW) event, which is being coordinated by Joan Kreamer and Pam English. The Celebrating Best for Women” event will be March 14th at the Glenshire Clubhouse from 5:45-8pm. Save the Date!
Our very next event is the Teen Closet which is March 3rd at 5:30 Kathleen Raber’s home.
Thanks to our membership coordinator, Lisa Barr, and her committee we have also increased our membership. Please introduce yourself to our new members whenever you can and welcome them to our great club.
Hope to see you all at the February business meeting and welcome our special guest speaker, Jessica Penman, CEO Truckee Chamber of Commerce
Life's Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy Shit... What a Ride!"
Soroptimist mission is to empower women and girls. That includes empowering our club members.
SITD has proven to empower its members to be club leaders using their experience and strengths in committees, board positions, and mentorship.
Over the last few years our club members:
created a new fundraiser, Soroptishop
increased grant funding
encouraged and mentored new club leaders
implemented the Dream It Be it program at Truckee High
added a Grant Review Committee
added an energetic Finance Committee.
More than half our club members have been a member for 5 years or less. Do you realize it is your uniqueness, your strengths, your willingness to be vulnerable that gives our club a boost?
As a SITD club member our club needs you to volunteer and step out of your comfort zone to be empowered to participate fully in our club. Also, as a SITD club member our club needs you to support, uplift, and empower other members to do the same.
Shirley Phelan received the January. “made it happen“ award in recognition for all of her hard work on behalf of the club.
Shirley is the social coordinator and, in addition to planning our events, has graciously opened her lovely home to host them. Right after cleaning up her kitchen after the SITD holiday brunch, she was at the airport the next morning sorting toys for the “toys for tots” program. She is also our coordinator for the silent auction at our upcoming restaurant and wine faire. She is even baking cookies for our CBW event! And, if you want to join our Soroptimist book club, touch base with Shirley. Thank you again, Shirley!
We were very pleased to induct Lynette Hipkin into our club at the January Business meeting. The picture includes (L-R) Pam inducting Lynette, Lynette and Lil, her sponsor.
Our annual signature event to honor women and girls in our community is the Celebrating the Best for Women on March 14th. We will be honoring our Woman of the Year, Megan Seifert, Headwaters Science Institute, and celebrating our Live Your Dream Winners, the Violet Richardson awardees for high school super volunteers and Career Advancement Scholarship winners. Our keynote speaker is Kim Bateman, Dean of Sierra College. Joan and Pam are coordinators for the event.
You and your family and friends are welcome to join us for this exciting program and enjoy appetizers and dessert. Invitations will be sent soon.
Wine Tasting and Food Faire Fundraiser 2023 – If you haven’t already done so, please make sure you have June 10, 2023 set aside on your calendars for volunteering for this very important fundraiser.
This is an all-hands on deck event, so please don’t schedule any other events for that day. We have a great slate of committee members but additional volunteers to help plan this event are always appreciated.
The solicitation materials for Restaurants, Wineries, Silent Auction and Sponsorships have been updated for 2023. Thanks to Pam and Mike English for doing the updates! Silent Auction forms will be going up soon in the Members Section of https://sitd.info . Please start considering who might be a great entity to solicit for a Silent Auction item. This year we are requesting $50 minimum value items and $25 minimum for gift cards. To avoid duplications, please coordinate with Shirley Phelan, Silent Auction coordinator prior to making any solicitations.
For any potential ideas for Sponsors, please coordinate with Pati Johnson, Sponsorship Coordinator.
If you have any questions or would like to sign up for volunteering, please reach out to Susan Horst or Marie Strassburger, Wine Tasting Co-Chairs.
Every year, SITD sponsors a "baby shower" for the teen moms at Sierra High School and for any parents who get stuck in Truckee and need baby items from diapers to bottles. Kathleen Raber will host the event at her home on March 2nd at 5:30.
Someone from the Sierra High Day Care Center will attend and discuss the 20 years that SITD and the Truckee Tahoe School District have supported teen mothers and their children with the STEPP program. Girls at Sierra High "earn" gifts at the closet for such activities as attending their prenatal appointments and parenting classes.
Kathleen will send out a list of needs for the closet later in February. Come to learn about the program, bring a gift for a child and enjoy appetizers together with our club members.
Here are a few ideas for the closet this year:
Snow bibs & Jackets 18 months-3 years old gender neutral colors.
It is time to solicit Sponsorships for our club’s annual Winetasting and Restaurant Faire Fundraiser, which will be held on June 10th, 2023.
This is our club’s biggest fundraiser and Sponsorships contribute to the event’s success. For our newer members, Sponsors are businesses or individuals who give money to this event, which in turn enables us to fund the many programs which we support. Some of the benefits of being a sponsor include admission tickets to the Winetasting and inclusion in our advertising and promotions, as well as being named on our club’s website. So who do you know that you think would be a good Sponsor? Please contact Pati Johnson (pati@nadell.net) prior to contacting a Sponsor, and let her know who you would like to solicit. Pati will coordinate with the Silent Auction Committee to be sure that our businesses are not “hit up” twice and for different things. Pati will also provide you with a cover letter and registration form to give to the sponsor that you would like to solicit. Sponsorships are due by April 3rd to be included in our early advertising (print media) and early promotions. Otherwise, there is a hard deadline of May 15th.
On a related note, we are seeking a CIT (Coordinator in Training) to assist Pati with the Sponsorships this year. It is not a difficult job, and much of it can be done remotely. Contact Pati for more details.
Members, please share the news that we are now accepting applications for our Career Advancement Scholarship until February 10th. Click hereto learn more.