From left: Vanessa Manjarrez, Violet Richardson Award winner; Lonnene Vreede, Women’s Opportunity Award winner; Lena Kennedy, Ruby Award winner; and Lynne Eodice, President of Altadena-Pasadena Soroptimists.
At its third annual “Live Your Dream” luncheon, Soroptimist International of Altadena/Pasadena presented awards to three outstanding women who have made a major contribution to the community. The event was held at the Women’s City Club in Pasadena.
The Woman’s Opportunity Award (WOA), Soroptimist International’s signature award, is given to women who are overcoming personal difficulties and bettering their lives through education and skills training. The program provides women who are the primary wage earners for their families with cash grants to further their education.
This year’s WOA honoree was Lonnene Vreede. Six years ago, she was a participant in the Door of Hope program when she and her family became homeless, and the family graduated from the program within six months. Since that time, her husband has been unable to find a job and once again turned to drugs and alcohol. Currently, Lonnene is head of household and supports her family, which includes four children, as a case manager for the Door of Hope and is attending school to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor. Altadena/Pasadena Soroptimists awarded her with $2,000 scholarship money to further her education. “Things are getting so much better,” Lonnene commented, “and the monetary award from Soroptimists will help so much.”
The Violet Richardson Award (VRA) is given to young women between the ages of 14-17 who are engaged in outstanding volunteer work within their community or school. (Violet Richardson was the president of the first Soroptimist Club.) This year’s winner, Vanessa Manjarrez, attends Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena. She has created and leads a service and social club for adult clients at Villa Esperanza, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. Vanessa received a $100 Target gift card from Altadena/Pasadena Soroptimists.
The Ruby Award honors women who have worked to improve the lives of women and girls through their professional and/or volunteer work. This year, Altadena/Pasadena Soroptimists honored Lena Kennedy, Founder/Conference Director of Southern California Women's Health Conference & Expo 2012. Ruby Award honorees donate their cash award to a non-profit organization of their choice, and Lena designated her $250 award to the Pasadena Arts Council.
Soroptimist International is a worldwide service organization comprised of professional and business women. The members, who are leaders in their communities, aspire to improve the lives of women and girls in their local communities and around the world.
