The Great Falls chapter of Soroptimists International has been giving to the Great Falls community since 1943. Now with only three members remaining, the organization is in the process of disbanding and sharing its remaining resources.
The story of the national Soroptimist club began in the early 20th Century, a period marked by legislation giving women the right to vote, but the struggle wasn’t over. The Soroptimist’s vision was one where every woman and girl had the resources, opportunities, and support to realize her full potential. To pick a name for their organization, the word Soroptimist was created from two Latin words: “soro,” meaning sister, and “optima” meaning best, thus creating a word translating to “Best for Women.” As the number of clubs grew across the United States and globally, each chapter, by keeping girls and women in mind, sought to solve local problems.
When the local chapter was organized, World War II was raging. One of the club’s first community projects was to go to the Army base at the east end of town to mend soldiers’ clothing. To have funding, the women had scrap paper drives, rummage sales, and collected club dues. In its first fifteen years, the organization donated over $31,000 (equivalent to the purchasing power of $346,522 today) to various service projects.
Over the years, scholarships have been awarded to working women who were pursuing a graduate degree to enhance their profession. The purpose was to promote upward mobility in mature women, assisting their efforts toward training and entry or re-entry into the labor market. Often, the scholarship was for $500, along with submitting her name with other local winners to compete for a $1,500 regional scholarship. At the national level, these scholarships were called “Live Your Dream Awards.”
In 1967, the Soroptimists club in Great Falls spearheaded the building of Soroptimist Village on Thirteenth Avenue South and Twenty-fourth Street. Every year since 1943, the club had put away funds for the building of this complex. Its purpose was to provide housing for retired women (later for both women and men) living on limited incomes. The Soroptimist Village has served this purpose for fifty-seven years.
As the years passed, even more emphasis was placed on education, housing, and food. With these areas in mind, the remaining members are dissolving the organization by allocating the club’s remaining assets to the following organizations:
The Great Falls Public Schools Foundation has been identified as a recipient under the category of education.
Housing for those with low incomes is a need in the Great Falls Community. The Soroptimists donated to The Soroptimist Village, Housed Great Falls, Family Promise, Mercy Home, and Grace Home for Women.
Dissolving funds will also assist the following organizations with programs that distribute food: The Food Bank, Helping Hands at First English Lutheran Church, St Ann’s Soup Kitchen, First United Methodist Church lunch and dinner program, and St. Vincent DePaul’s Angel Room program.
Soon, the Soroptimists organization will no longer exist in Great Falls; however, its influence on the Great Falls community will live on.
Author: Staff
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