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Alexis Beuchert has a dream of establishing a worldwide online boutique featuring creative, stylish clothing for working women.  She received a check for $2,000 to help her achieve that dream from Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC). She is a second-place winner of SIFC’s annual Live Your Dream Award. 

Beuchert, a single mother, is working full-time while attending college at Northern Virginia Community College, a first step toward achieving a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  Alexis believes that her education will help her market and build her business using social media and other resources and succeed in a highly competitive field. 

Having faced difficult challenges while growing up, Alexis believes, “The thing about education is that it can never be taken away from you. As an adult I’ve come to realize that knowledge is by far the most valuable commodity a person can obtain; once you know it, it’s in your possession forever. Through knowledge, I will be able to reach for the moon, even if I only land in the stars, an abundance of new opportunities will be waiting to be taken advantage of.”

The Live Your Dream Awards are all about helping women who have faced economic and personal hardships to live their dreams. Since 1972, the award has provided tens of thousands of women with cash grants to help them achieve their education and career goals. The program helps women build a better life for themselves and their dependents.

For more information about SIFC and the Live Your Dream Award, please contact Ann Mattheis at ahmattheis51@gmail.com.

Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC) presented checks of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively to Bethany House and Second Story during SIFC’s annual awards dinner on May 15, 2019 to honor these organizations’ support of women in need. 

Olga Johnson, representing Bethany House, explained that the organization provides emergency shelter, basic needs, counseling, job skills training, temporary housing and much more for the victims of domestic violence and their children.  In addition to financial support, SIFC also provides holiday gifts to help Bethany House clients furnish their homes.  SIFC has supported this important organization for more than 20 years.

Jade Leedham, representing Second Story, listed the variety of services offered to teens in crisis, pregnant mothers, homeless and runaway youths including counseling, meals, guidance, parenting skills for young mothers, long-term housing and rent assistance, life-skills training, after-school programs, translation help and much more.  To help support these important services, SIFC provided Second Story with $1,000 earlier this year.

For more information about SIFC’s activities, please contact Ann Mattheis at ahmattheis51@gmail.com.      

Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC) presented a check for $2,000 to the Schar Cancer Institute at its annual awards dinner on May 15, 2019.  The donation supports the caring, treatment and research services provided by this new facility to cancer patients in Northern Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and beyond.

The Institute, which just opened the doors to its new building in mid-May, is a “state-of-the-art cancer center in the Washington, DC metro area designed to bring healing and hope to every patient. Inova Schar gives patients unmatched logistical, clinical and emotional support. Our team of nationally renowned doctors, specialists, surgeons, genetic counselors, nurses and caregivers are backed by the latest in drug discovery, clinical trials, research and advanced treatments.”

SIFC has recognized and supported this facility and the important services it provides for residents of the DC metropolitan area for several years.  For more information about the Schar Cancer Institute, please visit https://www.inova.org/cancer/home.

And for more information about SIFC, please contact Ann Mattheis at ahmattheis51@gmail.com.

Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC) presented the Violet Richardson Award to four young women for their volunteer efforts in Fairfax County at SIFC’s annual awards dinner on May 15, 2019 at the Red Lobster in Fairfax City.

The Violet Richardson Award honors young women ages 14-18 for their volunteer efforts which benefit individuals with a need and the community at large.  The award comes with a check for $500.

The honorees are: Stephanie Agyemang-Manu, Racheal Appiah, Helen Ganley and Judith Velasquez. Each honoree is an honor student at their high school, volunteers to help several causes, but is distinguished for identifying a need and helping to meet the challenge of resolving that need with volunteer action that benefits individuals as well as the community at large.

Stephanie and Racheal volunteer at the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) at Stony Brook. The goal of the organization is to recruit volunteers to improve the safety and quality of life their communities. CPDC is a leading not-for-profit real estate developer dedicated to providing safe, high-quality affordable housing to low and moderate-income individuals and families. CPDC recruits people to advance this mission. Stephanie and Racheal help plan and manage after-school programs, the summer education and fun programs, the neighborhood events and activities, and so much more.  And, they work to inspire young people to follow in their foot-steps.

Helen Ganley created a program in senior centers to teach senior citizens how to use cell phones and other high-tech devices to communicate with family and friends.  Her challenge grew out of her concern that her grandparents—and a large percentage of senior citizens—were unfamiliar with the current communications devices, leaving them feeling lonely and isolated. 

Judith Velasquez volunteered with a program called ELLA (Empowering Latina Leaders Ahora) created in her school to help young Latina girls pursue an education and to increase their graduation rate. Judith’s goal is to help Latina girls thrive. 

For more information about the Violet Richardson Award, please contact Cathy Clark at clark10131@verizon.net.

Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC) has selected Penny Lewis to receive the Live Your Dream Award, the club’s most prestigious award.  Ms. Lewis will receive $2,000 at SIFC’s annual awards program in mid-May.

A resident of Colonial Beach, VA, Ms. Lewis is the mother of a teenage son—soon to graduate from high school–and daughter, also a high school student. She works as a bartender and server at a Colonial Beach restaurant.  She lost her husband recently and their home to a fire shortly after his death. 

Despite these many setbacks, Ms. Lewis powers on for her sake and that of her children.  Because she believes in the value and promise of education, Ms. Lewis is working for a degree in psychology and a career in drug counseling at Ashland College. She explains, “The amount of people that are on drugs in this country is rapidly growing. I believe if people have the support and help that anyone can face and conquer their demons within.”  She further states, “I think there would be no greater satisfaction in life then to be able to change someone’s life for the better by helping them overcome their demons. To know you were a part of changing or savings someone’s life is a great accomplishment and something to be proud of.”

The Live Your Dream Award, created by Soroptimist International of the Americas, honors single women, head-of-household, who are victims of abuse, poverty or other difficult life circumstances and who are trying to rebuild their lives and gain financial independence through education or skills training. SIFC presents this award annually and invites interested persons to apply online in the Fall at https://www.soroptimist.org/our-work/live-your-dream-awards/apply-for-the-live-your-dream-awards.html.

For more information about the Live Your Dream Award or SIFC, please contact Ann Mattheis at ahmattheis51@gmail.com.

Do you want to help abused women and their families find shelter and start a new life?

Would you like to give a helping hand to a homeless or indigent woman who wants to turn her life around?

Are you looking for an organization that helps provide these and other services to women in need?

Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC) just may be the organization you’re looking for!  We help abused, homeless and indigent women change their lives for the better. 

Learn more…

SIFC raises money to support organizations—Bethany House, Shelter House and Second Story—that give shelter, personal counseling, job counseling and search assistance, and housing assistance to abused and beaten women and their families, unwed mothers, homeless teens and others who are facing life’s darker side. 

SIFC also provides financial awards to women who are trying to start over with an education that will give them knowledge, skills and the confidence to find, enjoy and flourish in a career. 

SIFC honors young women—teen girls from ages 14 – 18 – who are volunteering in their community to help those in need with cash awards.  Reinforcing the values of kindness, generosity, and helping those in need are life-long values we support.

But there’s so much more…as we work toward our mission, SIFC members build friendships and lifelong bonds by planning events, working as a team, and knowing that our contributions are helping those in need.

So join us!  We need your help…and your generous spirit… to bring hope and happiness to women who’ve known anything but for most of their lives. 

Contact:

Jackie Madry-Taylor at jkemt@aol.com or at 703-716-8746

Ann Mattheis at ahmattheis51@gmail.com or at 703-426-7117

Jan Cross at jvcross@cox.net or at 703-978-3569

If you are a young woman (ages 14-18 years) and believe in the power of helping make life better in Fairfax County, you may be eligible for an award from Soroptimist International of Fairfax County (SIFC).

The Violet Richardson Award recognizes young women who work for a better community through volunteer service.  Whether it’s helping the homeless, stopping the spread of drug use, working for a cleaner and healthier environment, mentoring those with physical and mental challenges, and much more, SIFC values your generous, giving spirit and we want to reward you.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organization of women who volunteer in their communities to help women and their families turn their lives around for the better.   When we learn about young women who are giving to their community through volunteer action, we want to encourage those lifelong values. 

If you believe you deserve this award, please complete the online application.  Tell us about yourself and your volunteer service.  Download the 2019 Violet Richardson Award Application and submit it by the deadline.

Good luck!  Whether or not you win this award, please know that SIFC applauds your kindness and generosity to Fairfax County and the world. 

Photo by Bart LaRue on Unsplash