Soroptimist of Washington D. C.
The name Soroptimist is coined from the Latin "soror" and "optima" meaning "best for women". Founded in 1921, Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. The Washington D. C. chapter was chartered November 27, 1922 with 108 members as the first club on the east coast and the fourth worldwide. SI/DC is actively involved in a number of service projects in the greater DC area.
The SI/DC club's history is long and diverse, some of the projects undertaken in the past 80 + years include:
- Helping establish a Women's Bureau of the D.C. Police (1920's)
- Raising funds for the restoration of Wakefield - birthplace of George
Washington (1920's)
- Establishing a "Soroptimist Walk" in Potomac Park with the planting of 150
trees (1930's)
- Collecting clothing for French War Orphans (1930's and 1940's)
- Beginning the Youth Achievement Awards Program (now called the Violet
Richardson Award) (1950's)
- Donating trained German Shepard dogs to the D.C. Police Department
(1960's)
- Helping establish the House of Ruth (1970's)
- Becoming a founding member of the National Museum for Women in the Arts
(1980's)
- Working with neighboring Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax Clubs to begin a
run to benefit the Lupus Foundation (1990's).
- Beginning a relationship with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April as a
sponsor (currently)