On February 22nd, we held our annual “Honoring The Women We Serve” Program Meeting….from my perspective, the best meeting of the year….because, it is at this meeting where we get to experience the impact we have made in the lives of the women we serve. It is at this meeting where we gain a deeper understanding of our mission: to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment!
We caught up with women we have served in the past from Mira and Chelsea to Sally and Megan.
Mira is planning to retire in a few years and move back to Serbia where she wants to start a Soroptimist Club in her town….Chelsea has purchased her own, first home….Sally completed the Mortuary Science Program at Cypress College and is working in her field and….Megan, still a culinary student at Orange Coast College, has started her own catering business and will be moving into a new home in March!
We recapped our Day of Empowerment and expressed our gratitude to the Assistance League of Huntington Beach, especially Doris Kennedy and Laura Syzdek and to Evangelia Rosales and the students at Golden West College who provided hair and make up services.
We celebrated our long-standing relationships with Project Self-Sufficiency and Build Futures.
And we honored 5 women this year with Live Your Dream Awards….which is 2 more than we honored last year….and we gave away more money to each woman this year as well…thanks in part to a generous donation from AES!
Introducing our 2017-18 Live Your Dream Honorees:
Kat , who attends Orange Coast College, wants to create sustainable textiles…Charity is completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services with an emphasis on Mental Health at Cal State Fullerton (after graduating from Coastline College)…Tammi is completing the Esthetician Program at Golden West College and also completing her AA in Communications. She will use her Esthetician license as another way to support her daughter and herself while she completes her education. Michelle, a student at Coastline Community College is pursuing a career as a Registered Dietician….and Yulia, also at Orange Coast College, wants to become a Math Teacher.
It is with our deepest gratitude that we thank this women who allow us into their lives and we thank our partners and supporters who continue to enable us to improve the lives of women and girls both locally and around the world!