Sharing a meal and stories, 170 people turned out Saturday morning at Soroptimist International of the Tri-Cities' Give Her Wings awards brunch, which was aimed at empowering girls and women.
In what has become an annual traditional to honour local volunteers and recognize women who face special challenges, attendees of the brunch at Port Moody's Heritage Woods secondary school heard tales of perseverance and determination.
According to president Alison Berg, the Soroptimists have long focused on supporting local woman and girls through mentoring, the Warm Place for Women social evening and Live Your Dream education and training awards for women. As well, the group runs a free store called Bea’s Kloset for women and young girls transiting to life on their own.
“They re overwhelmed,” said Berg of the women starting their new lives. When they see the quality and number of goods that are kept in a storage closet and given out for free, without obligation, the women are very grateful.
And sometimes a visit to Bea’s Kloset is an opportunity for volunteers to do even more, Berg said as she recounted how Soroptimists looked after one mom's children in shifts until she could get her life in order.
But it’s the annual fundraising meal, this year a brunch, that provides the funds to support local women.
In 19 years of fundraising, the local Soroptimist organization has granted more than $125,000 in education bursaries to local women and girls.
At this brunch, three volunteers were nominated for the Ruby Awards: Sonia Andhi, a broadcaster and founder of the Shakti Awards and Shakti Society; Meredith Graham, a youth and family development worker, advocate, poet and former youth in care; and Mo Korchinksi.
Korchinksi, who is the program administrator for the Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, was the Ruby Award winner.
Other winners were Anika Crepe-Tariff, Johanna Jucutan, Chiku Ngosi and Sofia Slate, high school students, who took home $1,000 scholarships for the Bea Kelly volunteer award.
As well, Emily Lam, won the Give Her Wings Award with a $1,500 scholarship and Lucia Hernandez, Natasha Massop and Harmandeep Kaur won Live Your Dream scholarships to attend college and university.
During the event, the audience heard how many of the women struggled to be able to go to school, having faced difficult life challenges. Some members of the audience were in tears after hearing some of the stories.
In all the $13,500 was distributed for scholarships, bursaries and the Ruby Award winner.
