Soroptimist International – Making a Difference for Women Award 07-08

On Friday Soroptimist International of the NW Americas honored me at their annual conference with their “Making a Difference for Women Award”. Soroptimist is an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Almost 95,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories contribute time and financial support to community–based and international projects that benefit women and girls.

It was an absolute honor to be given this level of recognition from SI, they are a massive group of powerful women who are up to creating a better world for women and girls. Much of my time is spent in my small office, hunched over a laptop planning, designing and making good things happen in the world. I can sometimes lose sight of how amazing my life has become – what I have begun and what HHI has accomplished in only the last few years for thousands of children and women!

I spoke to the 400+ Soroptimist women and shared my story, which is now interwoven with Hands to Hearts’ story. I was given an award, a generous contribution to support HHI and I was showered in appreciation with a 3 minute standing ovation that left me teary eyed and humbled to the core. I really hit my stride talking and the women enjoyed it so much that when there was some free time at the end of the lunch, I was asked to speak again. I told them to be careful what they asked for, but I did speak again, sharing a more personal side of my journey and HHI’s fragile times. They had time to ask questions, offer ideas and again they overwhelmed me with cheers and applause. I had such fun! I feel like a little kid when I say – “I wanna to do it again!”