Girls from Oakland's Madison Park Academy Primary School and Horace Mann Elementary School participating in our annual "Steps to Success" day of mentoring and career inspiration selected books of their choice to take home from an inspiring array. Special thanks to the generous donation by Soroptimist Kay Taylor, and to volunteers Soroptimists Portia Stewart and Notara Lum for the awesome collection.
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Olwyn Brown, Soroptimist and Carpenter with Carpenter's Local 713 demonstrated the construction of planter platforms and provided soil, seeds, and decorations for this elementary school girls project.
Art projects for our Shoe Project participants organized by Soroptimists Pat Walker and Jillian Rudin.
Mentors at our annual Shoe Project-Steps to Success Event were professional women encouraging the girls to consider aiming for exciting careers. Here are Karen Dawkins-Sergeant with the Alameda Sheriff's Department, Carolina Wallin-Civil Engineer, and Isha Brown-Forensic Criminalist. Soroptimist Carol Dippel shared the value of volunteering.
Volunteers at our annual Shoe Project on Saturday, April 13. This is SI Oakland's signature activity, offering low-income elementary school girls "steps to success."
The Shoe Project 2024: Almost 20 years ago, Soroptimists of Oakland took a class of school girls from a low-income elementary school out shopping for new shoes. Over the years, the shopping program grew into "Steps to Success" -- providing girls with role models to help them find the path that will help them to live their dreams and take steps forward in life to success. (And yes, we still go shopping for new shoes!) This year's girls came from Madison Park Academy Primary School and Horace Mann Elementary.
Portia Stewart delivered lots of toiletries and reusable plastic bags to the Women's Daytime Drop-in Center in Berkeley on behalf of our club. WDDC provides homeless women a safe place to relax, shower, and eat lunch during the day. Thank you to WDDC Executive Director Leslie Berkler (right) for your service. And thank you to Oakland Soroptimists for contributing these much needed supplies!
Our annual holiday social on Dec 2 was a huge success and great fun. President Kenya Broadnax presided, Secretary Felicie Standley gave the Inspiration, and Portia Stewart led a Santa-themed trivia contest Carolyn Bolton, auctioneer extraordinaire, incited bidding wars for the wrapped gifts, and we raised close to $2000.
This weekend several of our members including Cynthia McNair, below, volunteered to prepare and deliver Thanksgiving meal groceries to 350 needy senior citizens. The Day of Service was sponsored by Deacon Carolyn Bolton at St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Oakland.
Members Elaine, Patricia W, Carolyn, and Cynthia were among the volunteers on November 18 to distribute 127 beautiful 1 1/2 lb. lobsters for our fundraiser. Thank you to members and friends who purchased lobsters and made this fundraiser a success.
Thanks also to St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Oakland for sharing your patio. |