Group seeks to honor young women's volunteer activities

Special to the Daily mail

On Oct. 25, Soroptimist International of Nevada, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women, will begin seeking applicants for its recognition program targeted to young women who make the community and world a better place. The Violet Richardson Award honors young women, between the ages of 14 and 17, for volunteer action such as fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; and working to end discrimination and poverty.

"As a volunteer service organization for business and professional women, Soroptimist believes that by acknowledging young women's volunteer involvement now, they will grow up to be vital, active members of the community," said Martha Sander, president of the Nevada club.

The Violet Richardson Award program begins at the local Soroptimist club level, where the type of award varies (Soroptimist International of Nevada presents a $100 cash award to the winner and a $300 cash award to their volunteer organization). Club-level winners then become eligible for one of 28 $1,000 awards. In addition, at this level, $1,000 will be contributed in honor of the winners to their volunteer organizations. One finalist will be chosen from among the 28 winners for an additional award, including a contribution of $2,500 to the finalist's volunteer organization.

Applications for the award program are available by contacting Jacquin Brown at (417) 667-2325 or nevadasoroptimist@hotmail.com Applications must be returned to Soroptimist International of Nevada by Nov. 30.

The award program is named after Violet Richardson, the president of the first Soroptimist club in 1921. Richardson believed in personal responsibility and the motto, "It's what you do that counts." She lived her life accordingly, as an active member in her community who was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women. Soroptimist established this award to honor the memory of this unique woman and her dedication to volunteer action.

Soroptimist International of Nevada is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas. Its mission is to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Nevada members join with almost 95,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories worldwide to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women. The Nevada club helps women and girls by providing financial support and resources to Moss House and Girl emPOWERment. In addition, the club participates in Soroptimist International of the Americas' major service project, the Women's Opportunity Awards program -- cash grants for women seeking to improve their economic situation through additional training and/or education. For more information about how Soroptimist International of Nevada improves the lives of women and girls, call Sander at (417) 667-7171.