Members from the Cobram-Barooga soroptomist branch attended the Soroptomist International presentation of grants on November 26.
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Grants were handed out by the Soroptomist International movement at a meeting in November, including one of $20,000 to a Cobram organisation.
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On Wednesday, November 26, five members from the Cobram-Barooga branch went to parliament house in Melbourne for the inaugural presentation of grants.
Soroptimist International of Cobram-Barooga delegate Jennifer Gaylard said it was a proud moment for the organisation, with “so many worthwhile people receiving these grants”.
“It’s just such an exciting episode in what we do in soroptimism because we’re focused on helping women locally, nationally and also internationally,” Ms Gaylard said.
There were 12 grants worth $20,000 each given out to different recipients; among them was Global Care Community Meals Cobram.
“They do wonderful work in our community by providing 60 meals a week to the disadvantaged and homeless people of Cobram,” Ms Gaylard said.
Soroptimist International of Victoria president Kerry Beer with Global Care Community Meals Cobram’s Annette Mustica and Soroptimist International of Victoria committee member Helen Hutchens.
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A grant of $20,000 was given to Global Care Community Meals Cobram.
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Alongside these grants, a major grant of $100,000 per year, up to five years, was given to Women’s Property Initiatives.
“This is a group in Melbourne that are providing homes to older women who are at risk of homelessness, which is a fantastic initiative,” Ms Gaylard said.
Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement across 106 countries that advocates for human rights and gender equality.
“So our primary aim is to assist women and girls or women and their families as much as we can and to give them a hand up, not a handout,” Ms Gaylard said.
She has been a part of the organisation since 2003 after a friend invited her to the end-of-year meeting where they were giving out funds and scholarships to different organisations.
“They bought a cow for a woman in Africa and the huge difference that would make to that woman, she would be able to sell the milk, she'd be able to educate her children, her life would be turned around, and I thought, oh, this is the club for me,” Ms Gaylard said.
She said the highlight of being a part of the organisation was the friends you gained and the difference you made.
“I think it's the friendship of the others in the club and just feeling that you're doing something good in the community,” she said.
The Cobram-Barooga branch currently has 19 members, but is looking for more.
“We’d love some more young people ... we meet once a month, and it’s a dinner meeting, so it’s a nice evening out, and we have four fundraisers for the year,” Ms Gaylard said.
Any women interested in joining can contact the club president, Karen Bruce, on 0428 480 502.
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