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Soroptimists Present Healdsburg Women with Awards
Soroptimist International of Healdsburg's annual dinner was catered by Healdsburg High School culinary class, recognized three with major awards
About 50 people attended the Soroptimist International of Healdsburg annual awards dinner Wednesday night at the Healdsburg Senior Center. The local club presented three major awards and honored seven past presidents, as well as 13 students of the month.
Healdsburg Soroptimist president welcomed the audience and presented the awards following a dinner created and served by the culinary class at .
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Haily Roehrick, a senior at Healdsburg High School (and sometime ), received the Violet Richardson Award. The honor “recognizes young women who make the community and world a better place through volunteer efforts.” Roehrick began to volunteer at the during her junior year. She enjoyed the work so much that she stayed on to work during her senior year, as well.
Melita Love of Farm to Pantry received the Ruby Award that “honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women or girls. Their work has had a significant impact. And also inspires and encourages other women.”
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Farm to Pantry, founded by Love, gleans fruits and vegetables locally to donate to the Healdsburg Food Pantry, as well as local schools. The area served ranges from Cloverdale to Healdsburg and includes schools and preschools.
“This week we’re gleaning tangerines, lemons and oranges right here in town,” said Love.
The recipient of the Women’s Opportunity Award, Cassondra Jones, who works with Sonoma Life Support, suffered from a brain bleed two years ago. After surgery and a long recovery, she is again ready to return to school. But, she used the money she had saved to pay her medical bills. Her cash award can be used in any way to support her return to school to become a nutrition consultant.
Thirteen students were designated students of the month based solely on their volunteer efforts with the ‘S’ Club (Soroptimist Club) and the Interact Club. Awardees included Ariana Acevedo, Viri Avila, Miranda Cook, Jessica Gonzales, Bea Hallinan, Adriana Hernandez, Emma Klaus, Marcella Passalacqua, Jocelin Padilla, Haily Roehrick, Milan Spadoni, Taylor Steadman, and Saskia Tingey.
According to Torres there are about 20-25 current members in Soroptimist International of Healdsburg.
The local club raises money for their annual Christmas Party, created to help 15-20 less fortunate local families, for scholarships for students graduating from both Healdsburg and Geyserville High Schools, for the Women’s Opportunity Award, as well as other community projects. In addition, every four years, Soroptimist International adopts an International Quadrennial Project.
The evening’s menu was chicken parmesan, pasta with pesto sauce, Caesar salad, rolls with herbed butter. Advanced culinary students serving the meal included Roberto Sierra, Jackie Pritchard and Noely Paredes. A variety of cakes were offered as dessert.
Adrianne Brounstein teaches the three culinary classes at Healdsburg High School. The classes include 64 students in two beginning and one advanced class. The program has been active for three years and is looking for more clients. They cater private, public and district events.
There is a great deal of cross-curricular cooperation between the agricultural department and with CASA, as well. CASA is the Construction and Sustainability Academy. The three programs are working together to create a permanent raised-bed garden at Healdsburg High School. CASA students constructed the raised beds and will construct a hen house, as well. The Ag department is cooperating in the creation of the garden as well.
The name Soroptimist means “the best for women.” It is a service club dedicated to helping the local community. The Healdsburg club was formed on April 7, 1956; the original Soroptimist club was founded in Oakland, in 1921. Soroptimist International now includes more than 100,000 women internationally.
