Women’s work is never done, but members of the Soroptomist Club of Healdsburg wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Soroptimist Club will discuss plans for future charitable work at 6 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce.
The Soroptimists are a group of women who work on various charitable projects both for those in the city and beyond. Club member Karen Tappin provided figures for what the club has done so far, and total donations for fiscal year 2018-19 were $33,160.
The women provide services for women’s education, such as $500 Sonoma State University Scholarships and $10,000 in scholarships to Healdsburg High School graduates, $1,150 to fund programs with the Healdsburg Education Foundation and $1,050 to the Healdsburg AAUW to send girls to the Tech Trek event at Stanford.
The club also donates to the Girls on the Run program, which helps underserved girls strengthen and improve their confidence while training to complete a 5K run. Last year the club donated $10,000 to the program.
The club has also helped provide boots to firefighters, fund services and hosts clothing drives for homeless at Reach For Home and St. John’s Catholic Church and gives several awards to outstanding community members.
It’s not just donating money, though, the women also do a variety of service work, such as gathering blankets and stuffed animals for women and children at the Sonoma County Family Justice Center who may be staying at a women’s shelter as their case is underway.
Women in the military aren’t left out either. Packs are shipped to deployed servicewomen that are gathered from community members. Packages include toiletries and other essentials.
The club also holds a canning project that provides farm-to-table canned tomatoes and holds “S Club” service clubs for Healdsburg high school-age students.
If this work sounds worthwhile or if you have an interest in joining, you can join the conversation at the meetings, which will continue the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. For more information, call Karen Tappin at 707-433-5353.
