Soroptimist International of Hood River President Pennie Burns (left), and Waucoma Bookstore co-owner Jenny Cohen celebrate the store’s $528 donation from the sales of Kamala Harris 2021 commemorative calendars. The money will support a Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award for a local woman of color. Applications for the 2021 award are available at Soroptimist.org.
Soroptimist International of Hood River President Pennie Burns (left), and Waucoma Bookstore co-owner Jenny Cohen celebrate the store’s $528 donation from the sales of Kamala Harris 2021 commemorative calendars. The money will support a Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award for a local woman of color. Applications for the 2021 award are available at Soroptimist.org.
Contributed photo
A series of fortunate events will help some local woman receive financial support for improving her life through education.
It started when Sourcebooks Publishing created the Kamala Harris “Madam Vice President” commemorative wall calendar and, in January, donated cases of them to their independent bookstore partners to sell, including Hood River’s Waucoma Bookstore. Each store was encouraged to donate a portion of the calendar sales to a local charity of their choice.
As calendar sales slowed in the summer, Waucoma tallied up their sales and presented Soroptimist International of Hood River with a check for $528 to support the organization’s “Live Your Dream Awards” program. Waucoma co-owner Jenny Cohen had been a Soroptimist member and recalled the difference the awards made to each of the women who received them. She wanted to offer Waucoma’s help this year, particularly to a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) woman.
Soroptimist International’s Live Your Dream Awards program is a unique education award for women who provide the primary financial support for their families. The Live Your Dream Awards give women the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. Award money can be used to help offset tuition costs, purchase books, get transportation, or find reliable childcare so she can worry less about how to pay her bills and focus on reaching her dreams.
Through fundraising and community donations, Soroptimist Hood River offers three $1,500 Live Your Dream awards each year. Online applications became available Aug. 1 and must be submitted by Nov. 15 at Soroptimist.org. Ultimately, Live Your Dream Award finalists have the potential to receive up to $16,000 (from the local organization, the region and the larger Soroptimist federation).
Soroptimist Hood River welcomes questions about our projects and programs, and about joining our group of women who strive to make a difference in the lives of women and girls, both locally and globally. Find us on Facebook or contact President Pennie Burns at pennieburns37@gmail.com.
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