Since 1921
The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning ‘sister’, and optima meaning ‘best’. And so Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since the founding of the very first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California in 1921, Soroptimist International (SI) has sought to bring about change to the lives of women and girls worldwide. Through its global network of five Federations and its dedicated volunteer membership of just under 65,000 members in 118 countries, SI is driven by its mission of transforming lives through education, empowerment and by enabling opportunities.
A lot has changed for women and girls in 100 years, but the road to equality continues to be difficult. Women and girls face tremendous challenges, solely because of their gender and they suffer disproportionately from poverty, racism, sexual assault, domestic violence, and sex trafficking.
With its long history of working with women and girls, Soroptimist knows that helping them get an education, skills, and training is a powerful strategy toward achieving economic empowerment. The organization’s Dream Programs provides the access to the necessary education and training.
Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley
Our Story
They said it would never happen! They said we already tried to form a club in Pahrump before and nothing happened! That’s because they didn’t have the founding team of Willi Baer, Tonya Brum, Linda Fitzgibbons and Stacy Smith at the helm. Those four took the lead and after meeting with some leadership from Las Vegas, they convinced the Vegas clubs to sponsor a new club in the district. Thus, the idea for Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley was born.
A subsequent meeting took place at which twenty-two women attended and eighteen of them signed up immediately. The then Sierra Nevada Region Governor-Elect Poco Davis was at that meeting and her words were very instrumental in pleading our case for a club in Pahrump. Although there were some naysayers, the founding team loved the challenge and immediately began meetings with the formation of committees ensuring that all members were tasked with a responsibility. That’s the secret to retention, make everyone responsible for something. The Soroptimist Pahrump Valley club was officially formed on March 5, 2006.
SIPV began winning region awards during the first year and has continued to do so for the past eighteen years. Programs recommended and encouraged by SIA and SNR were implemented and as we grew, we’ve added local programs that benefit both groups and individuals in our community. Is it bragging to say that we are the most productive club in our district? Maybe, but it’s true. Thanks goes to our amazing 50+ members who are relentless in meeting our annual strategic goals.
Moving to Pahrump? Joining a club with an amazing and unique mission like Soroptimist is the absolute best way to meet people, make new friends and make a difference.
During the past 18 years, we have improved the lives of women and girls in Pahrump, NV by:
- Distributing approximately $12,000 in Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards ® to local women to help them get the education and training they need to improve their employment prospects and economic standing
- Holding an annual Soroptimist Dream It, Be It ® event that has helped put 125 local high school girls on the path toward achieving their career goals
- Offering a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) scholarship program (from 2007 to 2020) that provided roughly $80,000 in funding to local women who wanted to begin a career in the nursing field
- Providing a $1,000 donation to the local pre-kindergarten campus for the purchase of age-appropriate books to stock their on-campus library. These funds were applied for and received from a Soroptimist district grant
- Sponsoring an annual art contest for local high school students to help encourage community awareness of human trafficking. We utilized social media to broadcast our message to share awareness of and action against human trafficking
- Hosting annual health and wellness fairs, specifically focusing on women’s health issues such as pre-and post-natal care, breast cancer awareness, and warning signs of heart disease, which is different than in men.
Join us in empowering women
Join Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley and make a difference in women’s lives.