Soroptimist International of Riverside

Each year SI Riverside supports ADV by gathering gifts for families participating in the ADV program. Last year ADV asked SI Riverside to provide gift cards to give to families participating in their program so the family could buy items such as clothing, toiletries, etc.

Soroptimist provides backpacks and school supplies each year for the under privileged school age children participating in the ATA Program.  ATA is a non-profit organization that serves low income families in the Riverside Community. They assist families who are in desperate need for immediate help.

In 2010 SI Riverside donated $1,000 to be used specifically for free breast and cervical cancer screening for young women whose insurance does not cover the costs of such screenings. Inland Agency is a family of non-profit programs providing free services to the Inland Empire area ranging from teen pregnancy prevention and youth development to health insurance counseling and breast cancer screening.

In 2010 SI Riverside donated $500 to Operation SafeHouse.  Operation SafeHouse is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the safety and well being of children in crisis. The two Safehouse shelters are the only ones of its kind in the Riverside county area providing core essential services for runaway, homeless, and throwaway kids.

SI Riverside distributed 200 toiletry bags to homeless women during the City of Riverside’s, 1-day, 1-stop consumer-focused activity where scores of community service providers and volunteers are mobilized in one setting to assist hundreds of homeless individuals and families. At any point in time there are approximately 500 or more homeless people in the City of Riverside and it is estimated that 40% of them are women. 

SI Riverside was instrumental in setting up the Riverside Rape Crisis Center.  We provided financial support for many years.  For the last two years, SIR has provided volunteers to work the Rape Crisis Center’s annual fundraising auction, acting as spotters for the auctioneer.

Soroptimist decorates a Christmas tree for the Festival of Trees each year. RCRMC Foundation’s Festival of Trees is the only major fundraiser benefiting the pediatric units at the RCRMC hospital. Proceeds each year are used to purchase desperately needed and often life saving equipment for the children’s units including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Child Abuse and Neglect Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.  IN 2009 SI Riverside Tree “I’ll be Home for Christmas” won first place for Best Use of Space and third place for “Best Adherence to Theme.

SI Riverside has been a big supporter of the YWCA Born Free program for many years by working with Habitat for Humanity and YWCA. The YWCA's unique "Born Free" Program is a residential treatment home that houses chemically-dependent women so that they can recover from addiction, give birth to healthy babies and learn skills to become healthy self-sustaining members of society.  For many years SIR has provided financial support to assist with operating expenses of the Born Free Home as well as helping to pay down the mortgage on the home that Habitat for Humanity built for the program. In 2009 Soroptimist gave $1,500 worth of household items, including bedding, curtains, towels, dishes, flatware and baby items.