Anacortes School District Breakfast

Our Co-Presidents, Diane Goetz and Marge Thomas attended the breakfast celebration on April 26th thanking the Anacortes School District volunteers and service clubs for their contributions. This school year we raised the paddle for Rachel's Closet at our Hallowine Fundraiser and partnered with SI Anacortes to take middle school girls to a STEM conference as part of our "Dream It - Be It" goals.

2017 Live Your Dream

Michelle Hawkins, Leslie Paszkowski, Trish Rodriguez

Soroptimist International of Fidalgo Island is proud to announce our 2017 Live Your Dream Winner, Leslie Paszkowski.

Leslie is not a stranger to Anacortes. She was married at an early age and as a young mother, her heart was always set on continually learning. She took correspondence courses and was certified in the fitness industry. She has been a tireless volunteer in our community working with many organizations including the American Red Cross, Anacortes School District, Reading is Fundamental, the Salvation Army and AmeriCorps, as well as coaching for Parks and Recreation.

Despite finding herself left alone with a son in Anacortes High School and two daughters still in college, Leslie continues to strive to better herself and is enrolled at Skagit Valley College working toward a degree in civil engineering. We are delighted to support Leslie in her continuing goal of a Civil Engineering Degree and wish her luck at the Regional and National level.

Dream It, Be It

Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls will help girls grow up to be strong, successful, happy adults. Dream It, Be It targets girls in secondary school who face obstacles to their future success. It provides girls with access to professional role models, career education and the resources to live their dreams.


A combined workshop sponsored by both Anacortes and Fidalgo Island Soroptimist Clubs.

WHO: 7th and 8th Grade girls from Fidalgo Island


WHEN: Saturday, May 14

TIME: 9:30-4:00


WHERE: Methodist Church
2201 H Avenue


FYI: All girls in the the 7th and 8th grades have been mailed invitations and registration forms. The forms are to be returned to the Middle School Main office no later than Friday, May 6. This one-day FREE and fun workshop is for girls to talk about their dreams and how to go about setting goals to achieve these dreams.

Live Your Dream

You are eligible if you are a woman who:

• Provides the primary financial support for yourself    and your dependents. Dependents can include            children, spouse, partner, siblings and/or parents.

• Has financial need.

• Is enrolled in or has been accepted to

   a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program.

• Is motivated to achieve your education and career goals.

• Has not previously been the recipient of a Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity or Live Your Dream     Award.

• Does not have a graduate degree.

• Is not a Soroptimist member, an employee of Soroptimist International of the Americas or                    immediate family of either.

• Has a Social Security number or Tax ID number. (This is required for tax purposes and is only            necessary if you are a resident of the United States. You will not be asked to share this information    unless you have been given an award.)

Applications are being accepted through December 1st.  For application form, click here.  For references form, click here.  If you need more information, send us an email with your name and phone number and we'll be quick to give you a call.  Money is currently available from a number of Skagit Valley clubs.  Please, please, please pass this information on to anyone who may be eligible.

Hallowine 2015

While we're still rubbing our sore feet, we need to crow a little about our 11th Annual Hallowine Auction!  October 17th saw 217 generous souls join us at the Swinomish Lodge Ballroom for an evening of fun and frivolity - with wine(!) tasting courtesy of  Frank and Priscilla (The Store Grocery.)

The evening began with an enormous silent auction and our infamous Gift Card Boards circulating the room with some tasty hors d'oeuvres. When the silent auction finished, guests enjoyed a wonderful full buffet dinner before the live auction opened with some spectacular desserts!

We're happy to report that our Raise the Paddle raised $12, 950 for the Merle Cancer Center Fund, and as always, we can't do a thing without the support of the generous merchants, sponsors and guests who attend our one and only fund raising event.  Thank you all so much!

Skagit River Salmon Festival

SIFI was proud to once again help out at the Skagit River Salmon Festival on Sept. 12th.  As always everyone had a blast as we manned one of many craft booths for the kiddies!

Hallowine 2015!

Every year it just gets bigger and better!

Soroptimist International of Fidalgo Island is proud to present our 11th annual Hallowine Auction and Wine Tasting - October 17th  at the Swinomish Casino and Lodge Ballroom.  Doors open at 5:30 for a fun ongoing silent auction, delicious hors d'oeuvres, fabulous wines courtesy of The Store Grocery and a spirited live auction hosted by the delightful Mr. Patrick Grant!

This is our one and only fundraiser and all proceeds fund scholarships and community projects. Tickets are $40 presale, $45 at the door and you may reserve a table for eight for $320. Click here to send us an email and order your tickets today!

The Women of SI Fidalgo Island - We Teach Our Children

My name is Trish Rodriguez and I was one of the charter members of  SIFI and a former member of SI Anacortes before that.  When people ask me why I choose to be a Soroptimist, so many good reasons come to mind. But none would be more important than the lovely young woman that stands with me among the tulips in this photo.  That beauty is my daughter, Amanda.  I was blessed with the care and feeding of two great kids; a responsibility I've rarely felt up to.  I wanted to teach them two things most of all - that they were loved and that happiness only comes in showing love to others.

Here's another picture of Amanda, taken this week in Haiti.  She is participating in travel with a purpose, volunteering a vacation with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children. In this photo she is taking vital signs for a diabetes clinic. Words will never be able to express the fierce pride I feel as she emails me these photos, and the deep feeling that wow, did I do something right.  If belonging to a service club has demonstrated to my kids that giving back is the rent we pay to live in a country where we have so much, it is worth all the dues, all the efforts, all the time I was never really sure I had.

Being a Soroptimist has given far more to me than I'll ever be able to give back.

Early Childhood Education

Co-Presidents Marge Thomas and Diane Goetz were happy to present Mark Wenzel, Anacortes School District Superintendent,  with a check for $8850 this month courtesy of our Hallowine fundraiser. Guests at the event  were asked to  Raise the Paddle  to provide scholarships for needy families to enroll children in preschool programs.

Our most exciting Hallowine yet!

Our 10th Annual Hallowine was an unprecedented success and we're all still a little giddy!  On October 18th we were proud to host 250 guests from our community at the Swinomish Lodge Ballroom for a little wine, food and merriment and a super exciting auction.

We're delighted to say that our guests were generous to a fault and were happy to "raise the paddle" to the tune of $8800 for the Early Childhood Education program in Anacortes. This money will fund scholarships to allow families in need to send their kids to preschool. All other money raised will contribute to club operation and fund our other scholarships and projects, including the Live Your Dream Award and anti-trafficking education in cooperation with the Skagit County Coalition Against Trafficking.

We wish to offer our heartfelt thanks for the generosity of all our guests and sponsors. Thanks to all of you for helping to make this community and event AMAZING!

Things That We Do... cont.

 Finishing up with our Spring Community Baby Shower by using the monetary contributions for books for the Prenatal Care Center.  Yay!

AND presenting $1262 to the Skagit County Coalition Against Trafficking. The funds will be used to defray start-up costs and to produce a future seminar that will be tentatively scheduled for February. Double Yay!!

The Women of SI Fidalgo Island - We Have Families

I am honored to be a member of SIFI.  It is important to me that all children are provided a healthy foundation with support from the communities that they call home.  I work at City Hall and every afternoon look forward to the bus dropping off kids.  The basement quickly fills with the sounds of rambunctious kids.  I appreciate that we have the Boys and Girls Club in our communities to provide a safe, supportive environment.  I am proud that SIFI is a partner in ensuring the success and financial stability of the Boys and Girls Club."

Emily Schuh - member

The Women of SI Fidalgo Island - We Give Blood

"During the last 28 years of living in Anacortes with my husband and raising our two daughters I have been involved in many kinds of non-profit and volunteer work; some state but mostly local, and mostly related to arts education.  I also play in a recorder quartet, am in a book group, enjoy sewing, gardening & cooking.  Prompted by one of my daughters' battle with and survival of leukemia which entailed the use of countless blood products and a stem cell transplant, I am a regular blood donor and am in the national bone marrow donor bank.

I was raised in a family that valued community service, with my mom a very special and dedicated role model. When our girls got older and moved on to lives on their own, Soroptimist seemed a natural fit for me.  The women of our club are the best - talented, smart, compassionate and energetic.  I have found use for both the business  and non-profit skills gained through my lifetime, especially in helping with the clerical organization of one of our main fundraising events - HalloWine.  It's a joy to work with a bunch of gals who easily choose causes to support, mostly local, but also national and international,  figure out the best ways to raise funds for them,  roll up their sleeves and pitch in until each job is beautifully done.  All to improve the lives of women and girls."

Annette B. Woolsey - member

Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Award Gets New Name!

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.

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.

Now accepting applications!

The Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards give women the resources they need to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects. Eligible applicants must be women who provide the primary financial support for their families, and who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program.

Each year, Soroptimist clubs in 19 countries and territories assist women in overcoming personal difficulties and bettering their lives through education and skills training. The women may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, including books, childcare and transportation.

 The program begins on the local club level, where award amounts vary. Club recipients become eligible to receive region-level awards, which are granted through Soroptimist’s 28 geographic regions. Currently, each Soroptimist region grants one first-place award for $5,000. (Note: most regions grant additional $3,000 awards.) The 28 first–place recipients then become eligible to receive one of three $10,000 finalist awards.

If you or someone you know would like to apply please click here for an application. In addition to your applications you will need to submit two references - the reference form is available here.  All applications must be submitted before December 15, 2013.