Mommy and Me Activity Baskets - RuRAL CAP Head Start
Through the month of October, we collected donations of “Mommy and Me Activity Night Baskets” that were donated to families and children served by RuRAL CAP, a private, statewide nonprofit organization working to improve the quality of life for low-income Alaskans.This hands-on service project provided 33 children and their families with the gift of quality family time.
Quote from Donna
Girl Scouts of Alaska and Alaska’s Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Soroptimists are drawn to looking outside themselves, seeing need in our community. For Veterans Day, SI/ Anchorage partnered with Girl Scouts of Alaska to double our food drive impact. Alaska’s Department of Veterans Affairs to see how we might assist women veterans during the holidays
Leslie Ridle, CEO of Girl Scouts of Alaska (GSAK), was invited to be our November program speaker, so we partnered with the Girl Scouts to double our food drive impact for the VA Food Pantry. We also invited Jeanne Fox to speak, who is the Chief of Voluntary Services with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs for Alaska. These two women provided great information on their programs, how we can assist, and highlighting the good things that girls are doing to become women of the future, and the necessary health services the VA provides for our veterans, and particularly women vets – a group we don’t often think about when the term veterans comes to mind.
Quote from Christina
December Membership Gathering - Holiday Stocking Stuffing Event
DECEMBER, 2020
In the past, SI Anchorage stuffed stocking for Clare House clients. However, in 2020, we moved to 40 pillowcases instead of stockings because someone gave us a tip that a clean pillowcase is a useful item for transient women – for using as a ‘carry-all’ and for pillow-covering. In Dec. 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were not allowed to have our usual festive Christmas party and stuffing activity. Members who were comfortable braving the pandemic to meet in person, socially distanced at the Alison’s Relocation warehouse, stuffed the pillow cases and maintained a festive mood. The pillow-cases were stuffed on an assembly line (formed by all attendees) and the finished products were presented to the Clare House staff members who joined us as guests. This is one of our longest standing and most loved events.
BUNDLES OF JOY - Baby Shower Update
The annual Bundles of Joy Community Baby Shower, originally scheduled for this Saturday, April 25, 2020, was postponed. I remain hopeful that we will be able to host the event this Fall, though I recognize that it may not look the same as it has in years past.
Local Quilters, Knitters, and Crochet Guilds created beautiful blankets and baby items to be donated at the Community Baby Shower, and I am incredibly thankful for their efforts and support. I am also very grateful to our club members that purchased baby items to be donated and collected donations from their workplaces. I ask that you please hold on to these donations until we can come together again, as Clare House, AWAIC, and Passage House’s need will be even more significant given the COVID-19 crisis. In the meantime, we can use this time of isolation to consider how we can best support these non-profits and their essential work, and work towards making the 2020 Bundles of Joy Community Baby Shower an impactful event.
Rose Kapingen Foundation Update
The Rose Kapingen Foundation was created to provide funds to further Anchorage women’s education and allow them to live their dreams.
The Rose Kapingen Foundation goal is directly in line with the Soroptimist mission – Live Your Dream.
Here are some of the thank you quotes from this year for Rose Kapingen:
“Thank you so much for this! I am honored and it was such a pleasure to speak with you all during my interview. Best wishes for a glorious spring!” ~ L.P., Recipient, 2021
“Thank you so much for interviewing me and thank you for this excellent news! I am humbled and honored to be chosen for this scholarship. Please know that I will do my level best to make you all proud as I work toward completion of my Associates Degree.” ~ N.G., Recipient, 2021
“Thank you all for the opportunity! It is such a privilege to continue my education and to have your support in doing so.” ~ O.P., Recipient, 2021
“As the semester draws to a close, I wanted to reach out and thank you, as well as the other panel members, for taking the time to meet with me last month. The scholarship I received has lifted a financial burden from my shoulders for the summer classes I will be taking. I am both honored and humbled to have been selected to further my degree with your help. Thank you again.” ~ M.B., Recipient, 2021
The board also oversees the Dimock Arts and Scholarship Funds. Applications this year were reviewed by members of the board and an independent arts member.
We awarded the following organizations:
“What great news! Thanks so much for your support for Cyrano’s and the NO MORE HARVEYS project.” ~ Cyrano’s, Recipient organization, 2021
“So exciting, thank you so much! We are so grateful for everything!” ~ Alaska Theatre of Youth (ATY), Recipient organization, 2021
“This is fantastic news! This has been a busy and challenging year. We are incredibly grateful to have support from the Rose Kapingen/Dimock Scholarship review committee of Soroptimist International of the Americas, Anchorage on Cook Inlet.” ~ Alaska Youth Orchestra, Recipient organization, 2021
Gift Cards for Sex Trafficking Victims
Testimonials
