Welcome to Soroptimist International of Bend, Oregon

15th ANNUAL COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER FOR BABIES OF BEND

BEGINS FEBRUARY 1 to MARCH 31, 2020

SPONSORED BY SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF BEND, OR (SI BEND)

Bend, OR, January 20, 2020

Want to help keep the babies of Central Oregon warm and clothed? Get involved in the annual Community Baby Shower hosted by Soroptimist International of Bend. Since 2005, SI Bend has been collection gently used or new baby & toddler clothing and hygiene items. With the cooperation of local businesses, retirement homes and a generous community, we make it a priority to ensure our little ones will be warm. Through the Deschutes County Department of Human Services, all items collected by SI Bend are distributed in Central Oregon to local families in need who cannot afford basic baby care supplies.

Beginning February 1 through March 31, donations such as diapers, unwrapped clothing, blankets, hygiene items, bottles and pacifiers may be dropped off at the convenient locations below. (Unfortunately, used car seats cannot be accepted.)

Bella Studio Salon – 2150 NE Studio Rd, Bend, 97701

BJ’s Quilt Basket -20225 Badger Road, Bend, 97702

Central Oregon Locavore – 1841 NE 3rd St, Bend, 97701

Harcourts, The Garner Group – 2762 Northwest Crossing Drive, Ste.100, Bend, 97703

Hopscotch Kids – 1303 NW Galveston, Bend, 97701

Jake’s Diner – 2210 US Hwy 20, Bend, 97701

Lovejoy’s Market – 19530 Amber Meadow Dr., Bend, 9770

For more details on the SI Bend Community Baby Shower please contact the co-chairs Arlene Hendrix at 541-617-0079 and/or Shari Anderson – 541-678-5779. web site: www.sibend.org

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Celebrating 76+ Years of Service 1943 – 2020

Service never goes out of style. Soroptimist International of Bend (SI Bend) has been providing community support serving women and girls of Central Oregon since 1943. It is the longest, continuously running women’s service organization in Bend offering educational awards to local women, and supports Bethlehem Inn, Head Start, Grandma’s House, Kids Center and more. Internationally, SI Bend’s outreach programs “Bras from Bend” assists women rescued from human trafficking, especially from the sex slave trade, through the campaign “Free the Girls”. More info is available at – www.sibend.org A non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization ---Foundation Tax ID #27-0010575

7th ANNUAL “BRAS FROM BEND” TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

SPONSORED BY SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF BEND (SI BEND)

Bend, OR, March 2018: Starting April 1, 2018, Soroptimist International of Bend (SI Bend) will be placing their collection Bra Boxes around town at participating retail businesses to help bring awareness to the fight against international human trafficking. These garments will help create a pathway to a better life for a woman rescued from the sex slave trade in Africa and Latin America. SI Bend partners with Free the Girls (www. FreeTheGirls.org), a non-profit organization, to send the collected bras to these locations.

SI Bend’s outreach program “Bras from Bend” is a testament to the Soroptimist mission Best for Women. The “Bras” project is made of women in Central Oregon helping other women half way around the world. The simple act of a donation of a gently used (or new) bra will help a woman become an entrepreneur who sells these garments thus empowering her to create a better life for herself and family. Thanks to the generosity of the community, last year’s drive collected 1473 bras!

Bras may seem an ordinary item for women of Central Oregon. To women of sub-Sahara Africa and in some countries of Latin America, they are a luxury item, which improve lives socially and economically.

“Bras from Bend” runs annually only during the month of April. Bra Boxes are at the following locations in Bend. For more information, visit www.sibend.org.

Bella Studio 2150 NE Studio Road

The Cutting Club, 1335 NW Galveston

Deschutes Children’s Foundation – East Bend Campus, 2125 NE Daggett Lane

The Little Hair Shoppe, 2669 NE Twin Knolls Drive

Prosthetics by Lynda, 345 NE Norton

QuiltWorks, 926 NE Greenwood

Snap Fitness, 2753 NW Lolo

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[Service never goes out of style. Since 1943, Soroptimist International of Bend (SI Bend), has been providing 70 plus years of community support serving women and girls of Central Oregon. SI Bend is the longest, continuously running women’s service organization in Bend, Oregon, offering educational awards to local students, plus, supporting Bethlehem Inn, Head Start, Saving Grace, and more. Internationally, SI Bend’s outreach programs “Bras for a Cause” assists’ women rescued from human trafficking especially from the sex slave trade in Africa through the campaign “Free the Girls.” For more information, please contact www.sibend.org.]

Soroptimist International of Bend, OR | Est. 1943

A big 'thanks' to the SI Bend members who got together to create Christmas centerpieces for those in need. Family Kitchen was delighted with the 17 centerpieces we gave them to place on their tables. Meals and Wheels was very appreciative of 28 centerpieces we provided them to take to patrons in our community along with their meals.

Thank you to all of those who participated: Margaret Wyman, Margaret Thompson, Eloise Whitelaw, Kris Jennings, June Brown, Susie Fagen-Wirges,Marty Smolenski and Annie Barlow. It was a most enjoyable and creative time together. We will do it again next year, too and invite all to join us.

Soroptimist of Bend delivered items collected from the Community Baby Shower to Therese Helton, Deschutes Health Services Community Development Coordinator. Thanks to the support of the Bend community over 800 items of clothing and baby care items were delivered to DHS to help meet the needs of the community over the coming year.

A special "THANK YOU" goes out to all who allowed us to put a collection bin at their location, as well as to all the nameless individuals who spent countless hours knitting, crocheting and quilting items to wrap around the babies in our community!

Soroptimist of Bend members met early Sunday morning to serve a warm homemade breakfast to residents of Bethlehem Inn. Soroptimist of Bend also purchased and donated a new dvd player to be located in the family residence common area, as well as, a large selection of movies for families to enjoy together!

HARMONY4WOMEN WELCOMES TWO NEW PARTNERS

Bend, OR. With unprecedented excitement, the Harmony4Women Leadership Team announces the addition of two new partner-organizations to the Harmony4Women Team. Joining Bella Acappella Harmony Chorus and Grandma’s House will be long-time Bend women’s non-profit groups, American Association of University Women (AAUW), Bend Branch, and Soroptimist International of Bend.

The purpose of Harmony4Women is to educate, nurture, support and inspire women and audiences in Central Oregon through a year-long community outreach, culminating in a crowd pleasing fundraising concert that benefits the partner organizations. Nancy Ueland, executive director, said, “AAUW and Soroptimist are wonderful additions to Harmony4Women. All four of these organizations draw women throughout Central Oregon and serve women and girls throughout the area. All four are designed to improve the lives of women and girls. They empower, inspire, shelter, and educate women and girls. Their goals blend nicely with the Harmony4Women mission.” Together the groups will present two Harmony4Women Acappella Concerts, their fifth annual offerings, at the Tower Theater in Bend, on Saturday, November 22, 2014, after 8-10 weeks of practice and bonding as the Harmony4Women community chorus.

Since 1881, The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been the nation’s leading voice advancing education and equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. AAUW offers grants and awards, nationally, and the Bend Branch, founded in 1931, gives scholarships to COCC students continuing their educations in a 4 yr. program, through their Charles and Helen Weil Scholarship Fund, and it offers middle school girls an introductory program in STEM fields, science, technology, engineering and math, toward preparing them for careers in these fields, in partnership with the Girl Scouts of America.

Soroptimist International, founded in 1921 for business and professional women, is a global women’s organization whose members volunteer to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. Locally the group supports projects including a Community Baby Shower for low income families, Hats Gloves and “soap bunnies” for Head Start children, support of local shelters housing women and families, advocacy and support for victims of human trafficking, and economic project support, such as “Bras for a Cause”.

Original members of the Harmony4Women Team are Grandma’s House, a non-profit home and outreach program that provides safe shelter to homeless and/or abused pregnant, parenting and adopting girls between the ages of 12 and 19, and Bella Acappella Harmony Chorus, committed to singing 4-part barbershop acappella harmony with joy and passion, and to achieving musical and performing excellence through mutual respect, dedication, education and community outreach.

Together, these four dynamic groups join harmony to provide cooperation and visibility for the causes they support. Joining together to “sing for their sisters” they all become Harmony4Women, providing a unique opportunity for both friend raising and fund raising. More information on the program and sponsor opportunities can be found at the partner websites, at Harmony4Women.org, and on Facebook pages, or by calling 541-383-3142.

Photo credit, Matt Garner

Harmony4Women Team Members: Alison Garner Mata, Dana Barron, Connie Norman (director), Sarah Elmer, Mary Howard, Woody Medeiros, Nancy Ueland, Margaret Wyman, Linda Gardner.

For the third year in a row, SI Bend made and donated Christmas centerpieces for Meals On Wheels as our annual December community project.

In January of 2013, SI Bend sewed and delivered 224 sets of children's pajamas to the Head Start Program of Central Oregon. Thanks for making a difference!