North San Diego Soroptimists heard first-hand how much their financial is improving the lives of women and girls when they gathered for their annual awards luncheon.
“My main goal … is to build myself up as much as I can because little Vanessa didn’t get that chance to shine and she deserves it,” said Begin Your Dream grant recipient Vanessa Brunetta.
The 22-year-old recounted how she had lived in 12 places and attended five schools during her 10 years in foster care.
“I grew up knowing everything I was going through was happening for a reason,” said Brunetta, who graduated last year from UCLA with a degree in sociology and has been accepted by UCLA’s School of Law to earn her master’s in legal studies.
“(I want) to reach out to youths … and give them the hope and tools … so we can all change the world together,” Brunetta said as she accepted her grant at the March 18 event in the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo.
Brunetta was one of several individual and organizational grant recipients who received a combined $38,000 from the Soroptimists.
“Together we make dreams come true,” chapter President Nancy Brokaw said, noting that when the international organization formed in 1921 it took on the name Soroptimist because the word, loosely translated from Latin, means “best for women.”
The Rancho Bernardo-based group announced that it was giving a combined $12,500 in organization grants, shared in varying amounts among six nonprofits.
This year’s recipients are Alabaster Jar Project (to help women who survived trafficking), Crisis House (a transitional housing program for domestic violence survivors), Foundation for Women Warriors (to help women transitioning out of the military), Generate Hope (to help sex trafficking survivors), Solutions for Change (it helps people overcome homelessness and reunites parents with their children) and Soroptimists Together Against Trafficking (to help trafficking survivors).
Also presented were a combined $22,500 in educational grants, shared among 13 recipients of either the chapter’s Live Your Dream, Continue the Dream or Begin Your Dream programs.
There were five Live Your Dream grants, worth a combined total of $12,500, which “ women and girls who are facing challenges in their lives, such as financial hardship, single motherhood or other personal obstacles,” said Soroptimist Theresa Martin.
“The purpose of the award is to provide financial assistance to women who are working to improve their lives through education,” she said.
The grant is one of Soroptimist International’s programs. Active since its inception, over the last seven years, Martin said the chapter has provided a combined $57,000 to 33 Live Your Dream recipients.
One of this year’s Live Your Dream recipients was Jessica Kidd, a student at MiraCosta College studying communications. She said she wants to work as a nonprofit professional specializing in fundraising at her employer, Solutions for Change, which helps those overcoming homelessness and poverty.
“I am super grateful to the women of Soroptimists for hearing my story and continuing to believe in me,” Kidd said.
In contrast, Continue the Dream and Begin Your Dream are grant programs unique to the North San Diego chapter.
The five Continue the Dream grants, totaling a combined $8,000, are for previous Live Your Dream recipients. That grant can only be received once even though the women’s educational journeys can take several years. Martin said the program began in 2020 and since then the chapter has given out $29,000.
Nikki White, a Continue the Dream recipient, is a student at Southwestern College studying liberal arts and humanities. She is scheduled to graduate this spring and plans to transfer to San Diego State University.
The single mother and former foster youth said she wants to become a high school teacher and also teach at the college level. Her long-term goal is to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D.
Ashley Linn, who said she is the mother of four and a domestic violence survivor, also received a Continue the Dream grant. She is attending Miramar College where she is working toward an associates’ degree in child development. Her goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in education so she can become an elementary school teacher.
“I am doing this for me and my children,” Linn said when thanking the Soroptimists for her grant.
Justine Mackey is a two-time Continue the Dream recipient. She is working full-time at Solutions for Change and studying for her state peer certification test.
Martin said the grant will pay for Mackey’s state test fees.
Mackey, the mother of two, announced that as of Feb. 2 she is 10 years clean and sober.
“That is very important to me,” Mackey said to applause. “Overcoming addiction and domestic violence and homelessness has been rough on me, however due to the of ladies like everyone in this audience … I have been able to overcome those obstacles and barriers and I am really excited to help other men and women … in their active addiction work on their mental health, address their mental health (so they can) get better emotionally, physically and spiritually.
“That is my goal with the peer state exam. … I appreciate this award and I love being of service and being here,” Mackey said.
In an effort to pay it forward, Mackey offered her to the Begin Your Dream recipients “We are all of service here, to guide you on your journey,” she said.
Begin Your Dream is the Soroptimists’ newest program, starting two years ago. Soroptimist Shelley Dugan said it is to help young women early in their educational career. It is for young women who are not necessarily moms, some still high school age in particular those aging out of the foster care system.
This year $2,000 was shared among three recipients who grew up in foster care or in other challenging circumstances.
Recipient Jasmine Green said she wants to help underserved youths. She is working on her associate’s degree in social work, wants to earn a bachelor’s degree and eventually work as a youth advocate or mentor, Dugan said.
Brandy Harvey said she is attending UC San Diego as a visual arts/studio arts major. She is teaching at a prison and has a job in Los Angeles helping former foster youths.
Later this spring, the Soroptimists will also be giving a combined $3,000 to young women graduating from San Pasqual Academy, a residential high school in Escondido for teenagers in the county’s foster care system.
“As Soroptimists, community is what helps us empower women and girls in a way that we couldn’t possibly do it on our own,” said Soroptimist Barb Sanfilippo.
“No one achieves success without the help of others,” Sanfilippo reminded the educational grant recipients. “So while you work toward your goals you will have a few bumps that can be discouraging … that’s life. But that’s when you need a buddy and a mentor to possibly encourage you. Please know this award is not the end. It’s the beginning of a valuable relationship. … We want to walk on your life journey with you.”
Sanfilippo challenged all present to be “a light and a blessing” to someone else.
During the luncheon, Brokaw also announced the chapter’s Soroptimist of the Year is Debby Hopp.
