Soroptimist International of Santa Clarita Valley (SISCV) was selected to receive a 2012-2013 Soroptimist Club Grant for Women and Girls from Soroptimist International of the Americas.  The $6000 grant was awarded in support of the club’s Comforts During Breast Cancer project.  Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for women whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.
“This is a particularly great honor since we received 67 proposals requesting nearly USD $490,000 in funding...only 30 projects were awarded a total of USD $175,000.  Your club’s proposal demonstrated an exemplary effort to improve the lives of women and was therefore selected for an award” stated Patricia Donohue, President, Soroptimist International of the Americas.  SISCV is proud to receive its first club grant in the club’s 37 year history.
The Comforts During Breast Cancer project enhances SISCV’s collaborative efforts with the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center in its mission to provide diagnostic excellence in a warm and caring environment through the provision of comfort bags to women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.  The bags will be filled with items such as cozy socks, bath salts, a personal journal and healing books to help these women relax and pamper themselves to ease their physical and emotion turmoil as they cope with their diagnosis and undergo treatment.  In addition, SISCV members will involve the Santa Clarita community by seeking local service donations to include in each comfort bag.  The grant will help convey to 100 women with breast cancer that it is acceptable and possible to be pampered, provide an avenue to do so, and establish this project as a sustainable signature club project for SISCV.
Founded in 1921 in Oakland, CA, Soroptimist is an international non-profit organization for business and professional women who provide volunteer service to their communities. Almost 90,000 Soroptimists in about 125 countries and territories contribute time and financial support to community–based and international projects benefiting women and girls. The name, Soroptimist, means “best for women,” and that is what the organization strives to achieve. Soroptimists are women at their best working to help other women to be their best.
The Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center is a non-profit diagnostic facility created through the experiences of breast cancer survivors, patients and their families.  The center is designated by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence and is designed with each woman’s physical and emotional needs in mind.  Their goal is to improve access to breast imaging services in the Santa Clarita Valley by making it easier for women to have their annual mammograms and to reduce the anxiety associated with breast cancer detection.
For general or membership information about the Soroptimist International of Santa Clarita Valley club contact Cyndi Diaz, President-Elect at 661-250-9212 and/or visit www.siscv.com.