Public Awareness

Programs

Fundraising

  • STOP Human Trafficking Events.  Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe works to bring human trafficking awareness to the community.  SIGP’s first human trafficking event was held at the Grosse Pointe Yacht club in 2008.  Teresa Flores, a survivor of human trafficking and author of The Slave Across the Street and Sacred Bath, came to Grosse Pointe with her story of how she was trafficked at fifteen years-old while living at home with her family in a well-to-do Michigan neighborhood.  Teresa is a survivor who has become the national voice of women and girls who are being trafficked today in the United States.  She is the founder of S.O.A.P. “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, a hands-on outreach to fight sex trafficking at large events in communities.  SIGP members help to fight sex trafficking by supporting S.O.A.P. through distribution of small soap bars which have the human trafficking hot line number to local area hotels and motels during the Detroit International Auto Show held in January of each year.
  •  Check out our PUBLIC AWARENESS and NEWSLETTER TAB
  • Garage Sales Each year SIGP has garage sales to raise money to fund our awards.
  • ​For the Love of Wine Raffle is our biggest fundraiser of the year.  In recent years we have raised over $7,000 which funds the majority of our awards. 
  • Mini Fundraiser are another way SIGP members get together to socialize, have fun and raiser money to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. 

What We Do

  • LIVE YOUR DREAM  is a Soroptimist signature award. The Live Your Dream award is a unique education award for women who provide the primary financial support for their families. The Live Your Dream Award gives women the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. You must be working towards a college / technical degree and have a financial need to be eligible for the Live Your Dream award.. DEAD LINE November 15th
  • MADELINE COLAVITO CONTINUING EDUCATION AWARD  Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe (SIGP) recognizes that Live Your Dream (LYD) recipients often continue to experience significant economic challenges that impact their ability to continue their educational program.  In 2018 SIGP established the Continuing Education Award to provide additional financial support to our LYD recipients as they work toward completing their educational goals.  Should LYD recipients continue to be enrolled in their vocational skills or educational program, maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative Grade Point Average, and continue to experience significant financial need, they would be eligible to receive $500 a year for up to 4 years after the original LYD award.  This award can be used to help offset tuition costs, purchase books, get transportation, find reliable childcare or in any other way that allows the recipient to focus on reaching her dreams.  The application form, personal statement and official college transcript are due no later than January 15 of each year in which the recipient is requesting the Continuing Education Award.
  • VIRGINIA WAGNER EDUCATIONAL AWARD  is specific to those states in Midwestern Region: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Women residing in these states who are attending college/university in pursuit of a bachelors, masters or doctoral degree are eligible to apply. DEAD LINE January 15thFor more information about these awards please see our SIGP Educational Awards tabs.
  • RUBY AWARD  for women helping women...acknowledges a woman who has made a significant difference improving the lives of women and girls.  DEAD LINE February 15th
  • DREAM IT, BE IT: Career Support for Girls gives girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.  Although all girls face barriers because of their gender, we prioritize working with girls who have additional obstacles including poverty, unstable home lives, living in foster care, or teen motherhood. SIGP works in partnership with girls in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information and resources they want and need to be successful.
  •  Mentoring:The Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe (SIGP) Mentoring for Success Program was established in 2020 to assist our club’s Live Your Dream and Virginia Wagner Education Award recipients in meeting their educational and career goals. The award recipients are matched with a SIGP member who will serve as a mentor in providing emotional support (e.g. caring and acceptance), instrumental support (e.g. information, coaching and advocacy) and potential networking experience to the recipient.  SIGP’s aim is to provide an opportunity for our members and our award recipients to work together in breaking down the barriers and meeting the challenges that mentees face as they continue their enrollment in college and ultimately complete their degrees or reach their career goals.
  • Positive Images Inc., is a woman’s residential rehabilitation program in Detroit.  Our Soroptimist Resource Center in Positive Images provides tutoring, and a library in the residential housing center. Soroptimist members contribute gifts at Christmas, provide special Mother's Day items and provide personal hygiene buckets for the women in Positive Images.