Club Committees
Our club is committee-driven
Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra is a committee-driven organization. Members are asked to join a Service and a Technical Committee of choice upon gaining membership. All monies donated to the club are allocated to the service fund. Donated funds go back directly into the community and global projects that are the Soroptimist mission of what is “best for women and children.”
Our Service Funds are raised annually through our single fundraiser, Elegant Evening held in the Spring. All money raised goes directly into providing programs and assistance for women and youth in our community and the world. Club projects are determined annually with data collected and shared from local agencies, school, hospitals, and city service personnel.
Service Committees – What we do
Awards Committee
Our goal is to provide recognition and financial support for youth and women who are working to better their lives and those in their community. View our Awards Committee video here!
G.I.V.E (Girls Into Volunteer Experiences) Award
This award is to recognize and honor young women grades 8- 12 for their volunteer action in their community or in school. There are no restrictions on the type of activity.
Live Your Dream Award:(Formally, Women’s Opportunity Award)
For women who are heads of households, returning to school or work and need financial support or assistance. This is a signature project that begins at the local club level, allowing winners to advance to regional and federation levels.
Ruby Award: Recognition of a community member for Women helping Women through their professional or personal activities. These women have identified and focused on a need in their communities which has significantly contributed to the improvement of women and girls’ lives.
Laurel Society Award: The Laurel Society is a lifetime honorary recognition program of Soroptimist International of the Americas that honors dedication to the organization and its mission. Club members believe that those members who have served the club in various positions and by numerous means either in leadership or support roles should be recognized for their dedicated service to SI of Tahoe Sierra.
Dream It, Be It
Dream It, Be It is Career Support for Girls. It gives girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse. Although all girls face barriers because of their gender, we prioritize working with girls who have additional obstacles including poverty, unstable home lives, living in foster care, or teen motherhood. Soroptimist clubs work in partnership with girls in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information and resources they want and need to be successful. View our Dream It Be It Video here.
Education & Economic Development Committee
Our goal is to provide educational and financial opportunities to better the lives of women and youth in our community. View our Education & Economic Development Video here!
Financial and material support is donated to the Lake Tahoe Education Foundation, Tahoe Arts Project, Coats for Kids (a Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe project), So. Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Catalyst Community, Literacy Council (Barton Baby Book Bags), Senior Projects at STHS, Tahoe Magic, Encompass Youth, Sober Grad Nights (STHS & GWHS) TASK: Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids, Girls Scouts of Tahoe Shores, Boys & Girls Club and Club Literario.
We provide volunteer hours towards several projects:
- School Backpack Attack : Backpacks filled with school supplies are given to local children in need and distributed through: South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Live Violence Free, Catalyst Community, Mt Tallac HS and CASA
- The Summer Reading Program: Every student enrolled in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District’s elementary schools, Zephyr Cove Elementary, and George Whittell High School, grades pre-K through eighth, receives a book to read over the summer vacation and to add to their home library
Elegant Evening Committee
Each year our club conducts one major fundraiser by which we fund all of our service projects. Elegant Evening is an event held in the spring and provides guests with a full evening of food, dancing and friendship. All members are involved in the procurement of items for the auctions but also as participants in the evening’s event. We raise funds while providing a sense of community for all.
Healthy Women / Healthy World Committee
Our purpose is to promote programs to implement Soroptimist goals to physical, mental, and emotional health. We provide action to improve our environment, to conserve our natural resources, and to plan projects within the community relating to parks and nature.
View our Healthy Women/Healthy World Committee video here!
Sponsorship of a student from South Tahoe Middle School to attend Tech Trec, a science and math camp for girls entering eighth grade
A scholarship for a diabetic youth to attend Camp Buck for purposes of diabetes education and fellowship.
Financial support and/or participation is also provided to:
ENVIRONMENT
Tahoe Wildlife Care
Snapshot Day /Keep Tahoe Blue
HEALTH
Drug Store Project
NV Diabetes Association (Camp Buck)
Bread & Broth Adopt a Day (x2)
Bread and Broth for Kids
SOS Outreach
One Voice Committee
Our goal is to support anti-trafficking efforts in alignment with Soroptimist International of the Americas, Federation and Region goals. View our One Voice Committee video here!
We specifically support the following endeavors:
Zawadisha Fund: The Zawadisha Fund is a Lake Tahoe based non-profit specializing in intelligent micro-lending for women in East Africa. Their mission is to empower, entrust and expand opportunities for women. Zawadisha accomplishes this through small businesses loans, education, savings matches, and preventative healthcare. Learn more and sign up for their newsletter at www.zawadisha.org. Stay connected on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Zawadisha and follow Zawadisha on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Zawadisha.
Kellermann Foundation: An organization working towards the sustainable development, health, education, and spiritual outreach for the benefit of the Batwa pygmies and adjacent communities.
My Sister’s House: To serve Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training, and community services.
Anti-human trafficking efforts through Soroptimist International.
Disaster Relief: Monies are provided to schools affected by natural disasters.
Awaken: Awaken is a local faith-based non-profit organization whose mission is to increase awareness and education surrounding the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims.
St. Josephs Land Trust- a South Lake Tahoe Community program to develop/improve low income housing. Our contributions are directed to move families from homeless category to an apartment.
Conduit for support of SI President’s Appeal. This year that is a Women and a Water.
Middle School Projects Committee
This committee focuses on areas for growth for youth in grades 6-8. These years are pivotal as students transition from being “little kids” to adolescents. We support growth of skills in self-awareness, leadership, identifying others who have special needs (safety, access to food & housing), and developing skills to make a difference. MSP supports STMS youth by:
Sending girls to a REACH for the Future Leadership Conference
Volunteering for STMS Challenge Day
Youth Enrichment & Scholarships (YES) Committee
Our goal is to support the accomplishments of youth, to enrich their lives and their opportunities. View our Youth Enrichment & Scholarships Committee video here! We work with the schools in conducting:
Scholarships: Our club supports a variety of scholarships for academic and also exceptional effort.
- Academic Scholarship for Seniors at STHS, George Whittell , Mt. Tallac, and the Young Parents Program submit applications in the Spring. Applications are supplied to students by schools at their sites and are evaluated by committee members based on grades, activities, community service and financial need.
- Efforts are recognized through our “Most Improved Student” at the middle and high school levels in addition to the Rothschild Scholarship awarded through the Joy Rothschild endowment.
- A monthly superstar Student Award is given to a student at Mt. Tallac School to recognize academics, attitude, and achievement.
Technical Committees – How we get it done
In order for “effective service” to occur, you must have mechanisms in place. It is through our Technical Committees that the business of Soroptimist occurs. Our members use their time and talents to get the job done. Our Technical Committees include:
Public Relations
Updates the club calendar and works with local media to increase the public’s awareness of SITS projects, programs, and events.
Attendance/Roster
Sets up entry table at weekly meetings, greets members, collects and maintains records of dues and attendance, and updates our club’s roster.
Hospitality/Breakfast/AV
Assists with setting up weekly breakfast items, supplies, and coordinates special celebrations held to carry out our programs. Assists with set up of AV equipment for meetings.
Communications
Produces and distributes the weekly e-newsletter, maintenance of our club’s website, and oversees the club’s email account and online document storage.
Finance
Reviews the club’s budgets, conducts the annual audit of our financial accounts, and recommends policy and/or procedure change to the board. Enters new members to the SIA website and maintains the club’s official roster with SIA
Recruitment/Retention
Builds and retains club membership through public awareness and social gatherings. Maintains the supply of business cards, banners, signs and posters for promotion of our club.
Programs
Assists the President Elect in procuring speakers for our weekly club meetings. Contacts the speakers to remind them of their date and gathers background information in order to introduce them to our members.
Cultural/Social
Plans socials that will promote friendship and contribute to the camaraderie and general good feeling of our members.
Publicity
Increases public awareness of SITS projects, program and events. Posts on the SITS Facebook, updates local media calendars, coordinates efforts to promote club activities in all media outlets, and works with the Elegant Evening Chairs in the promotion of our event.