Soroptimist International of Santa Clara and Soroptimist International of Silicon Valley, volunteer organizations for business and professional women, presented Women’s Opportunity Awards totaling $5,500 to Santa Clara resident Jane Tulali and San Jose residents Sonya Dotson, Melizza Milazzo, and Cynthia Yanez, who provide the primary source of support of their families. The applications of Ms. Dotson and Ms. Yanez will now be considered at the Sierra Pacific Region level, where winners will receive additional monetary awards.
The Santa Clara and Silicon Valley Clubs are two of 1,500 clubs that make up Soroptimist International of the Americas, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. The grant program allows recipients, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic and sexual violence, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, to use the awards to offset any cost associated with their efforts of attaining higher education or skills training, such as tuition, books, childcare and transportation. Each year, more than $1.5 million in club, region and federation funds are awarded to over 1,500 women in SIA’s 19 member countries.
The Soroptimist members contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. For more information about Soroptimist call Judy Boccignone at (408) 247-8528 or Carol Alexander at (408) 374-4990.
