Ramona Soroptimist Empowers Women

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Vickie Watkins, Ramona Soroptimist’s Live Your Dream Chairperson, has been with the Ramona Soroptimist for 11 years and was co-president for three of those years between 2021 and 2024. There are currently 36 members in the group.

“We better the lives of women and girls through opportunity,” says Watkins. They achieve their goals through the Dream Programs, of which there are three. “The Dream Programs are our focus.”

The three primary Dream Programs of Soroptimist International, including the Ramona chapter, are designed to help women and girls achieve their dreams through various types of support. These programs are:

1.     Dream It, Be It: This program focuses on helping girls aged 14-18 who are facing challenges. It provides them with the tools and support to set and achieve their goals by offering mentoring, career guidance, and skills development. It aims to inspire girls to dream big and reach their full potential.

2.     Live Your Dream Awards: This award provides financial assistance to women who are the primary breadwinners for their families and are seeking to improve their education and career prospects. It helps women who have overcome significant personal challenges to achieve their goals and improve their livelihoods.

3.     Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls: These grants support projects that benefit women and girls by providing them with educational opportunities and enhancing their personal or professional development. The grants focus on projects that will have a measurable impact on the lives of women and girls in communities.

These programs aim to empower women and girls, helping them build better futures for themselves and their families.

According to Watkins, the Live Your Dream Award is an education and training award. The recipient must be at least 18 and have a dependent. The dependent doesn’t have to be a child, though the applicant is usually a single mom and head of household who has overcome struggles and gone back to school. The school of choice can be a junior college, trade, vocational school, or even a GED program. The recipient may need the money for car repairs to get to school, glasses, or they may need the money for diapers.

The Ramona Soroptimist holds free Zoom training sessions to help women complete their applications. Watkins says many of these women are overburdened, and the last thing they want to do at the end of the day is to sit down and fill out an application. This group of volunteers helps the women in need through the application process. These women typically don’t have a good support system and tell the volunteers this repeatedly. They rarely do anything for themselves and often say it’s too good to be true because nothing is free. Watkins says they give women so much hope and encouragement through the process.

The Soroptimist National goal by 2031 is to help a half million women achieve their dreams and goals. These are not scholarships but cash grants. The information from these women and their applications is highly confidential, as many of them have been through traumatic situations. The Live Your Dream Committee selects judges who are not Soroptimist members to review the applications, and each club determines what amount each recipient receives.

“We ideally help women in our community,” says Watkins. “But it’s not a requirement.” They have given to women in Lakeside, Santee, and other towns that do not have clubs. “We do scholarships for our three local high schools,” says Watkins. “And it’s coming up real soon.”

“It’s the best-kept secret,” says Watkins. But they tried to be more present in the community last year. They have participated in the SDCEA 4th of July parade for the last five years. In addition, they help with the Heart and Mural Walk and volunteer to hand out water. For two or three years, they have walked the main street and passed out flyers in January in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Watkins represents the Ramona Soroptimist Club at the Ladies Who Lunch monthly meetings. “Three of us helped decorate the Woodward Museum last Christmas,” says Watkins.

The group meets on the second Wednesday of every month at the Hatfield Creek Winery. Social time is 6-6:30 pm, and 6:30-8 pm is business. In July, they hold a planning retreat instead of their monthly meeting. They have monthly meet-and-greets for anyone wanting to learn more about what they do, and they publicize on Facebook. They go to local businesses and different restaurants. They also invite the public and members to a quarterly program.

Watkins has been a San Diego Country Estates resident for almost 23 years, has been married to Don Watkins, aka “Big Don,” for 31 years, and is a retired San Diego Police Officer. She says she stays in the group to make a difference and help women. Their goal is to hold tight to the group’s mission and vision statement. She says they are like a grain of sand on the beach, and together, they can make a significant impact. It can’t be done by one person; it takes all of them together.

Photos courtesy of Vickie Watkins.