Soroptimist International Humboldt Bay grants educational awards for women

Soroptimist International of Humboldt Bay is all about empowering women, both socially and financially.

That is reflected in the awards women can apply for to best fit their needs. The group’s mission is something that spoke to Karen Lorenzo years ago.

“I was actually approached about 15, 16 years ago to join an organization that would help other women and it just appealed to me that I could make a difference in the community,” Soroptimist member Karen Lorenzo said.

The live your dream award is focused on those women who are the head of the household heading back to school, but facing financial hardship.

“Maybe she has children that she is raising. Maybe she has a significant other who is not employed and can’t be employed, so she is the sole supporter of that family. So she’s going back to school to improve her education and her life,” Lorenzo said.

Another education award is the Re-Entry Award for those looking to return to school and are enrolled in an educational opportunity program (EOP). Winners will receive $1,500 in scholarship money.

Youth awards are offered too, focused on the next generation. The Violet Richardson Award for teens ages 14 to 18 who volunteer within the community.

“The Violet Richardson award is actually named after one of our founding members who really found that if you give back to the community that that comes back to you in other ways,” Lorenzo said.

That extends to the Distinguished Youth Award focuses on graduating high school seniors in the Eureka area who are active in the community.

Applications for the awards can be found on the Soroptimist of Humboldt Bay Facebook page.

The deadlines to apply for most of the awards are a week from today.