For over 80 years, members of Richmond Soroptimist have worked to help women and girls in our community and beyond, while building lifelong friendships and having fun.
We invite you to give us a hand by joining us as an active member, a one-time volunteer, a guest at one of our events or as a donor.
Our group meets twice a month, on the first and third Thursday of the month. Our business meeting, on the first Thursday, is held at Richmond Country Club with a Zoom option if one is not able to attend in person. We are now trying to meeting in person on the third Thursday at Richmond Country Club. We found that if we have a program planned, it is sometimes easier to connect with a speaker via Zoom.
We are now adjusting to life after the pandemic. Our yearly fundraiser has been reimagined and called the Spring Culinary Event, chef show with wine and beer tasting. The funds raised by this event will be distributed to local community groups through a grant application process. In addition, annual awards are given to a woman who is sole support of her family and is furthering her education, a young woman who volunteers in the community and high school graduates who are heading to college.
We are excited to invite you to our
2023 Spring Culinary Event.
The success of this year’s reimagined culinary event will enable us to continue our work in the local area where needs are ever greater, and funds are scarce. We hope you will support us in this endeavor. As always, proceeds will benefit Soroptimist
Service projects including programs for youth, the elderly, the disabled , the underserved and those pursuing college scholarships among others.
Over the years our fundraising efforts have allowed us to give grants to local community organizations that help people in need. Some of the groups which have recently received grants from us are: Community Alliance for Learning (Writer Coach Connection), Early Childhood Mental Health, Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP), Hercules Community Library Foundation, Jelly's Place, Pinole Community Players, San Pablo Committee on Aging, San Pablo GREAT (Gangs, Resistance, Education And Training), San Pablo Watershed Neighbors Education and Restoration (SPAWNERS), The Quinan Street Project, Rosie the Riveter Trust, Ujima Family Recovery Services, West Contra Costa Boys & Girls Club, West County Adult Day/Alzheimer's Respite Care Center.
In addition to the grants we give out to community groups, there are three individual awards.
VIOLET RICHARDSON AWARD
A teenager (14-18 ) is honored for community service. The award is $500.
LIVE YOUR DREAM
This $2,000 award, given by the SI/Richmond Club, assists a woman who has the primary financial responsibility for her family to obtain the skills, training and education necessary to improve her employment status and standard of living.
HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS
In the spring, we will give one $5,000 scholarship to a local high school graduating senior who will be heading to college.
The pandemic took away our ability to have our usual fundraisers. Last spring, shortly before Culinary Caper would have been held, we sent a letter asking for support from our community. There was a magnanimous outpouring of generosity from our supporters and our members.
On November 17, a Zoom meeting was held to present six local agencies with service grants. The work they do in our community is impressive and inspiring.
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Soroptimist International of Richmond was chartered on March 23, 1939. Our club was sponsored by Soroptimist of Berkeley and led by Charter President Christina Cameron, who was the Assistant Superintendent of Schools. There were 18 charter members. Currently we have 25 members. Our club is part of Founder Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas.