April 2016
Issue: 31
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Only Two Days Left to Get Tickets for our Scholarship Awards Lunch and 85th Celebration

Saturday,  
April 16, 2016 
11:30 am - 2:30 pm 
Pierpont Inn, Ventura

The festivities will include a luncheon, longtime member recognition, scholarship awards and an awesome silent auction.

Here are some of the fantastic items to be auctioned:

 

 

Enjoy a sailboat cruise for 4 in Ventura Harbor on a 39' sailboat including wine and tapas

 

Prints from local artists Wendy Winet and Elain Thompson  

 

Handmade sterling silver earrings highlighted with peridot and abalone from Fox Jewelers

 

Various gift certificates from The Greek, Palermo, Parts Unknown, 805 windows 

 

Something for everyone!! 

 
Hurry and get your tickets today for this fun and festive event. They are $30 and are available online at   
 

Alondra Serna, Program Coordinator of House Farm Workers! will Speak and Share a Film on Farm Worker Housing at the April 27 Program Meeting 
Ventura County's farms and ranches employ nearly 23,000 men and women. These farm workers are critical to Ventura County's $2 billion-a-year agricultural industry. The average income of those workers is about $22,000 a year. Yet the average apartment rent in Ventura County is more than $18,000 a year. This combination of low wages and high housing costs means farm workers often must pool their resources to live in overcrowded apartments, motel rooms or houses. Sometimes they live in garages or sheds neither intended nor fit for human habitation.
 
Since 2004, House Farm Workers! and its partners have been working to change that. Thanks to these efforts, more than 500 homes have been completed or planned in Ventura County, giving new opportunities and new hope to hundreds of families.

Much more remains to be done. House Farm Workers! invites everyone who cares about farming and farm workers to join it in its mission to "support and promote the provision of safe, decent and affordable housing for all farm workers."
 
If you are interested in attending this meeting please call Cindy Daly at 805-701-0882 to RSVP by Monday, April 25. The cost is $15.
Soroptimists of Ventura Enjoyed an Evening of Fun, Friends and Wine  

On Tuesday, March 15 Soroptimists and their guests gathered at Gone West Cellars in Ventura to celebrate the actual date of our Soroptimist Ventura Club charter.

A good time was had by all! 
The March 9 Stop Human Trafficking & Sexual Slavery Annual Event was Well Attended

On Wednesday, March 9, Soroptimist International of Ventura joined with Oxnard, Camarillo, The Conejo, Santa Barbara and Simi Valley SI clubs to present the Stop Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery Event. This event is designed to help raise awareness about this rapidly growing problem in Ventura County, the state of California, our country and throughout the world. Anyone can be trafficked regardless of race, class, education, gender, age, or citizenship when forcefully coerced or enticed by false promises. We are working on education, advocacy and involvement.

Participants walked from the Ventura County Government Center and then returned to listen to a panel discussing the issues of Human Trafficking. The panel speakers included:
Shannon Sergey, Founder of Forever Found,
Von Nguyen, Santa Barbara Deputy DA,
Judith Potter, Deputy Sheriff, Ventura County Special Unit
Megan Riker Rheinschild, Santa Barbara Human Trafficking Task Force
Norbert Tan and Anne Paul King from the Ventura College Foundation Spoke at the March 23 Program Meeting

Norbert and Ann spoke about the many programs available through the Ventura College Foundation.

The Ventura College Promise offers 1,000 students graduating from any Ventura high school, the first year of college free. The statistics show the students who take advantage of this program stick with college and have a high graduation ratio.

The text book lending library is especially important because even students who get assistance, don't have money for textbooks. This lending library gives students access to text books who can't afford them and are struggling.

The foundation has assisted with the new applied sciences building at Ventura College. Which through partnerships with large local companies, have programs which teach a trade or industry specific training so students can get a job right out of college.

There are so many programs offered by the Ventura College Foundation, such as the Foster youth and Veterans Resource Center, that offer great possibilities for future Soroptimist involvement. We are excited to learn more from them.

For more information about the Ventura College Foundation please visit the web site http://vcgiving.org/
The 38th Annual Camino Real Region Spring Conference May 13-15, 2016  

 "Dreams on Parade: Change Makes It Happen"

Please join the Soroptimist Camino Real Region on May 13-15, 2016 at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel at the annual Spring Conference.  The Region Board and Spring Conference Committee have been busy creating a fabulous experience specifically for you!  Spring Conference is designed to recognize the work, members, and what has been done collectively to carry out the vision and mission of Soroptimist.    

We will see a return of Club photos, Women's Health Related workshops in the morning and the Leadership Academy in the afternoon.  The Dreams on Parade is Friday night where each clubs creative banners are on display. Governor Elect Ginger Cole will be installed on Saturday evening with a Mardi Gras themed celebration so put on your glitz and glamour for this.

SIA Federation Director, Beverly Bucur, will be a special guest during the Conference. The speakers for Friday and Saturday lunch will inspire as well as call on you to be the catalyst for change in a positive fun way.  The week-end will be filled much shopping, education, region updates and lots of celebration! 

The Call to Conference, agenda and pertinent forms are available here on the Camino Real Region website for your convenience.
Why Not Use Amazon Smile for your regular Shopping Needs? Try the Subscribe and Save Service.
 
Subscribe and Save is a subscription service that will automatically ship the products you purchase every 1, 2, 3, or 6 months.
Amazon gives you discounts on these items + free shipping and you can cancel at any time with no penalty. Subscribe and Save also gives you 15% off purchases when you add 5 or more items to your subscription plan for any month or 5% off for less than 5.

What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to our Soroptimist International of Ventura.

How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com ), you need to select Soroptimist International of Ventura to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at  smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, there may be special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations.

AmazonSmile Donations to Charitable Organizations
100% of the donation amount generated from your eligible purchase on AmazonSmile will be donated. The donation amounts generated by your purchases are combined with the donation amounts from all other customers that selected the same organization, and each quarter the AmazonSmile Foundation makes donations to registered charitable organizations by electronic funds transfer. Donations are generally transferred approximately 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

Please tell all your family and friends to choose Soroptimist International of Ventura to support in their Amazon online purchases through the AmazonSmile program.
Advertise in Our E-Newsletter and Help Support Our Community Service Fund
 
For a donation of $100 to our community service fund, we will advertise your business in our e-newsletter every month for a year. That is a $20 dollar savings over the monthly rate of of $10 per month. 
 
Or, donate $50 to our community service fund and we will advertise your business in our e-newsletter every month for six months. 
 
Mail your donation check to:  Soroptimist, P.O.Box 6133, Ventura, CA 93066 -- Include your ad information and email contact -- or contact us at [email protected] We will contact you to finalize the ad copy.
2016 Pledge & Inspiration Schedule 
 
    
April 13 Meeting: 
Pledge - Shirley Lorraine         
Inspiration - Cyndi Damron   
 
April 27 Meeting:
Pledge - DeDe Taylor           
Inspiration - Trevor Summerlin  

Please email Karen Flock at [email protected] if you would like to lead the pledge or inspire us at a meeting. 
Soroptimist logo
Upcoming 
Events

April 13 - Business Meeting & Induction of Vega Sankur - Noon 

April 16 - Scholarship Awards/85 Celebration 
11:30 am - 2:30 pm 
Pierpont Inn, Ventura 

April 27 - Program Meeting - Noon

May 13 - 15 - Spring Conference
Pasadena
 
 
Don't Miss Out

The April 13 Business Meeting will include the induction of new member Vega Sankur.

We will also be presenting the Freedom Welcome Bags, put together for Human Trafficking victims, to the Coalition Against Human Trafficking.
 


Kids-To-Farms Benefit Brunch

In partnership with the Future Farmers
of America

Sunday, April 17th
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
201 Camarillo Ranch Rd Camarillo, CA, 93012

Invitation-only Event
 
Southern-themed Brunch
by Chef Tim Kilcoyne

Recommended Attire:  
Hats, Frocks & Jackets  

Please click here for more information. Additionally, 
you may contact SIV member Heidi Oehmke at  
Heidi.Oehmke@morgan
stanley.com


Check out our new Website 

Scholarship Awards Lunch and 85th Celebration

Saturday,
April 16, 2016
11:30 am - 2:30 pm 
 
Pierpont Inn, Ventura
 
Please plan on attending this special event and bring a guest or two!  Help celebrate our Scholarship Awards winners, our long time members and our Club's 85th Birthday.

Tickets are $30 and are available for several more days online at www.soroptimistventura.
eventbrite.com
.

Menu choices include chicken, beef or vegetarian. Please provide choice when registering or purchasing tickets through eventbrite. 
 
The silent auction will be our major fundraising effort for the year. Silent auction items include a sailboat cruise in the Ventura Harbor for 4 with wine and tapas, prints from local artists Wendy Winet and Elain Thompson, handmade sterling silver earrings highlighted with peridot and abalone from Fox Jewelers, various gift certificates from The Greek, Palermo, Parts Unknown, 805 windows. Something for everyone!!  
 
For more information see flyer to the left or click here.
 
Presidents 
Message

It is April already and much is happening!

Our 85th Celebration and Award presentation is really going to be a special event and I hope all of you will be able to attend.

The nominating committee will be presenting the slate of officers at the April business meeting; voting will be in May and installation in June.

Spring Conference is May 13-15 in Pasadena and several members will be attending. Please consider if you may want to join us especially for the Friday program. I will need to give the final number for attendance on April 18.

As I have said before our club is small but mighty. We have accomplished many things this past year and our Anniversary/Award luncheon will be a showcase for what
"Soroptimist" means. We will be honoring women who carry the history of our club and we will also be honoring two very deserving women who are helping to make positive changes in other women's lives as well as their own.

We will watch each other's backs.
 
Kay Armstrong 
President
SI Ventura 2015-2016  
 

2016 Axxess Books are Now Available

The 2016 Axxess Books are now available for $30.

If you are interested in either selling the books or buying a book for yourself, please contact Cyndi Damron for details and more information at 805-216-4728 or email her [email protected] 
 

Liz Heaton Brown 4/15

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Club Meetings
  • 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month
  • Luncheon Meeting at 12 noon
  • Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel, 2055 Harbor Blvd., Ventura