The Women of SI Fidalgo Island - We're Crafty

"After spending forty years in Alaska experiencing it's beauty and challenges, I retired from being an elementary school librarian and moved to the lower 48.  During my years in Alaska I had many opportunities - built a home on a handshake, visited remote villages, fished and hiked the lakes, rivers and coastline and enjoyed meeting some very independent people - but Old Mother Nature finally got the best of me.  Go South!  I must say that I have a little laugh when a local says this area is cold; try twenty below for four months out of the year!

I love Anacortes.  As a newcomer to the area I chose to join organizations that called to my creative side as well as a love of community.  I enjoy making connections with SI Fidalgo Island projects and the needs of other Anacortes groups.  The Cultured Purls, my knittting guild, contribute to our annual Community Baby Shower with handmade blankets, sweaters and hats and the Fidalgo Island Quilters make quilts for the Books and Blankets project.  Our own talented members knit and crochet warm hats for people undergoing chemotherapy at the Island Hospital Cancer Center.  SI Fidalgo Island has a project to fit everyone - from scholarships, to crafting, to just plain fun."

Michelle Hawkins
Soroptimist

National Stop Human Trafficking Day - January 11, 2014

In the wake of last month's sting operation that resulted in two arrests of men soliciting underage girls online and at the request of the Skagit County Coalition Against Trafficking, Mayor Gere signed a proclamation declaring January 11, 2014, National Stop Human Trafficking Day. View the entire proclamation here and join Washington Engage, SKCaT and SI Fidalgo Island at the corner of 12th and Commercial at noon on January 11th to show your support.

Calling all Quilters, Knitters and Crocheters....

Blankets & Books, an Anacortes Early Learning Partners sponsored program, provides the parents of every baby born at Island Hospital with a hand-made receiving blanket, a board book and information about the importance of parents reading to their young children.

Please help us welcome the newest members of our community with a warm embrace!  Hand-made baby size blankets of all styles and colors are always needed and can be dropped off at the office of Whitney Early Learning Center at the corner of M Ave. and 12th St. in Anacortes or you may call 360-840-4108 for a pick up.

Stop Human Trafficking Rally

Soroptimist International of Fidalgo Island is proud to be one of the founders of Washington Engage Coalition Against Trafficking in Skagit County; for the purpose of organizing and empowering our communities to take action to prevent sex and labor trafficking. Human trafficking is ranked the second most lucrative crime in the world and 100-300 thousand children are currently estimated to be sexually trafficked in the United States alone. In this form of modern day slavery, victims are subjected to force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Their average age is thirteen.

Join SI Fidalgo Island and Washington Engage Coalition Against Trafficking in Skagit County at a Stop Human Trafficking Rally to be held January 11^th at noon simultaneously at the corner of 12th & Commercial (Safeway) in Anacortes and at the Courthouse in Mount Vernon. 

One of Those Things That We Do

To celebrate this season of giving, we, the ladies of SIFI, have pledged to each pick up an angel  from the giving trees in our hometown.

That amounts to 25 gifts for those less fortunate in Anacortes.

And that is in addition to the $200 in house cleaning for a very sick young mother struggling with cancer.

Of course, that is just the public part of our annual giving.  Soroptimists do the giving thing very, VERY well.

Ruby Award

Formerly the Soroptimist Making a Difference for Women Award, the Soroptimist Ruby Award: For Women Helping Women recognizes and honors the first federation president, Ruby Lee Minar. A ruby is also a deep red gemstone associated with wisdom, importance, vitality, strength, vivacity, power and love: all words embodying the strong and compassionate women who are our award recipients. The Soroptimist Ruby Award honors women who have worked to improve the lives of women and girls through their professional and/or volunteer work.

If you would like to nominate a local woman for our 2014 Ruby Award, please  leave a comment, drop us an email or call Diane Goetz at 360-424-7627 before December 15th.  Thanks!

Named after the president of the first Soroptimist club, the Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award honors girls who are making a difference through volunteer service. Each year, Soroptimist clubs honor girls who donate their time and energy to causes that make the community and world a better place—such as working to end discrimination and poverty, assisting women and children who are victims of domestic violence, or mentoring young girls.

 The program begins on the Soroptimist club level, with club recipients becoming eligible for additional awards at other levels of the organization. One winner is chosen to receive a finalist award, which includes a contribution of $2,500 to the charitable organization of the recipient's choice.

We're currently gathering suggestions for our 2014 nominee, so if you know of a local girl already on the road to changing the world, we want to know about her!  Send us a note here or call Diane Goetz at 360-424-7627 before December 15th.