Keeping the Lights On: Soroptimist Live Your Dream and Dare to Dream Alumni program
Submitted by Belle Auld, SI of Calgary
Four years ago Soroptimist International of Calgary (SIOC) decided to follow up with former Live Your Dream award winners. Instead of simply giving them their cash award and saying, ‘bye, bye’, we wanted to see how they were doing: to celebrate their successes with them and offer additional support and mentoring where needed.
At about the same time we decided to create the Dare to Dream (D2D) award to support single women who were struggling to return to school.
SIOC has been able to provide a bit of additional financial assistance to some Alumni members to help them continue their education. Since the beginning of the pandemic we have been offering all Alumni who want them, monthly ‘Good Food Boxes’ (a program through Calgary Community Kitchens that provides 20 – 25 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables at cost).
Some of the people SIOC supports through the Alumni program:
Mizze Walker received the Dare to Dream award in 2019. She works at the Drop In Centre and is in her final year at Bow Valley College studying for a diploma in Community Services, Addiction Studies with an Aboriginal focus. She says, “I come from Mi’Kmaw ancestry and will be the first person in my blood line to complete post-secondary education”. Despite her own challenges before and during the pandemic, Mizze likes to share the meals she makes from the Good Food Box with neighbors and people who are homeless. “I make soup or chili and take some around near where I live to give to people who don’t always have the opportunity to have a warm meal,” she says.
Jessica Tailfeathers says the LYD alumni program is special. “Meeting other women going through exactly what I’m going through. Women trying to support their family while trying to better themselves. Others who know what it’s like to not have food, clothing, shelter.” Jessica says that being “connected to people who are doing good, inspires me to do good.”
Jessica had just overcome a number of challenges in her life and was working full time and enrolled at Mount Royal University in Journalism, when she found out she was pregnant. She changed her goal – from wanting to be a travel journalist, to wanting to work in the communications field. That would provide more security and stability to her and her daughter. She says of the changes in her life since her daughter was born, “what started as a challenge turned out to be a journey and a beautiful one” and remembers holding her degree in one hand and her daughter in the other.
Amanda Thompson is the single mom of a daughter who has medical challenges plus learning disabilities. She has been juggling school and work with her daughter’s numerous hospitalizations. She appreciates the “care people continue to show to me and my daughter.” Amanda wants to work in non-profit either in a women’s shelter or a program that helps Indigenous people. People “who have faced adversity and challenges and are pulling through.”
Marie Constant says, it was “uplifting” to know that someone she hadn’t even met believed in her. She remembers being “really inspired at awards night. People shared their stories/their passion for helping other women. When I feel unworthy, I remember those women. I hope to be able to do that one day.” Marie’s story is somewhat unusual in that she has been guardian to her younger brother since he was 11 and she was 21. Marie also tries to be a good support for two other siblings, “while taking care of myself too.” Her older sister is blind and has other disabilities. Marie wants to be a nurse to be of service to women and children. She wants to use her teaching and nursing degrees (she already has a teaching degree) to do mission work. She says “I want to share whatever light I have in myself with whoever is in my community.”
#SIofCalgary #Dare2Dream #LiveYourDream #EducatetoEmpower #ChangingDreams #westercanadaregion