What We Do

Education Awards

Our members empower women and girls through education because educated women and girls are: 

  • Less vulnerable to sex traffickers; 

  • More likely to leave a domestic violence situation and not return; able to Access healthcare; 

  • Less likely to live in poverty;

  • And able to raise stronger, healthier families.

Live Your Dream Award

The Live Your Dream Awards were established in 1972 to assist women with primary financial responsibility for their dependents to obtain the skills-training and education necessary to improve their education, skills and employment prospects.

Recipients are women who have overcome life challenges. These are women – just like you!

Award recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, including books, childcare, and transportation.

Dream It, Be It.

Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls, helps girls grow up to be strong, successful, happy adults. Dream It, Be It is for girls in secondary school who may face obstacles to their future success.

SoroptiPaks

Soroptimist members from 2004 and products purchased for the SoroptiPaks.

The SoroptiPak program was initially established in 2003 to provide basic all new bathroom, bedroom and kitchen items to women leaving the Comox Valley Transition Society’s Lilli House (the Transition house for women and their children fleeing abuse) to help them set up their new home. More than twenty years later this program is still operating through the genereous donations of our community.

In 2019 we started to give the Soroptipaks to women entering Amethyst House as well.

Meeting the basic needs of women and their families enables them to focus on other areas so they can heal, grow and begin to provide a sustaninable life for themselves and their children.

If you would like to donate to this program (new items in original packaging or cash) please contact us at sicourtenay@soroptimist.net.

No Barriers. Period.

In partnership with North Island College

Menstrual Equity. Public awareness has ignited a worldwide movement calling for free access to pads and tampons in all restrooms and public spaces.

Period poverty is a gender equality issue because free access to tampons and pads is as essential as access to toilet paper, soap and water, for a normal bodily function that affects half the population. Periods might be tough to talk about, but they are a fact of life.

The members of SIC participate in a menstrual equity advocacy program called No Barriers. Period. designed to provide free access to pads and tampons in all restrooms and public spaces - especially schools, colleges, universities, and libraries.

Our goal is to stop the stigma, shame, and silence. Because a period should end a sentence, not an education.

Friendship Links

Soroptimists enjoy official Friendship Links with clubs in different countries ‘to further goodwill and understanding and promote friendship’.

For longer than years of service of any of our current members, perhaps more than five decades, Soroptimist International of Courtenay has continued to connect regularly with clubs in Wales (SI of Bridgend and District, Wales South Region, SI of Great Britain and Ireland, chartered 1948) and Japan (SI of Osaka-Naniwa, Japan Chuo Region, SI of Americas), and occasionally with our American one, SI of Port Angeles Jet Set, Northwestern Region, SIA).

Although our long-time English club, SI of Leamington-Warwick, sadly folded in 2019 after 82 years of service, it is special that communication continues as the bond of friendship is strong. From the early days of handwritten letters and sharing of newsletters, our connection has been enhanced by modern day technology of e-mails and Zoom as well as personal visits with home-hosting and meeting at several International Conventions. We share the same values of Soroptimist International, advocating for human rights and gender equality.

Program Funding

SIC is about women helping women.  One of the many ways that we help other women is through the provision of funds to support local and international programs/projects.

SIC sets an annual budget for local and international program/project funding, which can vary from year to year. Historically, programs/projects have been considered on a case-by-case basis and funding levels have been decided upon accordingly.

SIC has identified key priority areas for funding. These priority areas can change from year to year, depending on areas of interest, such as human trafficking, but can also shift because of world events, such as earthquakes and other natural disasters. Examples of priority areas are: education; housing, disaster relief, etc.

Program/Project Requirements

  • The goals and objectives of all programs/projects must address one or more of the Club's key priority funding areas and must be consistent with SIC’s core values of gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity, and fellowship.

  • Programs/projects must benefit women or girls by improving their social and/or economic status and quality of life.

  • Programs/projects must address a demonstrated need in the community.

  • Programs/projects must strengthen Soroptimist as a presence in the community and increase opportunities for public awareness.

  • Programs/projects must have measurable results.

  • Programs/projects must be sustainable, i.e., there must be a demonstrated strategy for long-term sustainability through community investment or income-generating activities.

If you know of a local or international program or project that would be a good fit for SIC, please apply and we’ll be in touch!