Soroptimist acts locally for global change
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Locally and globally, Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor members work to support women and girls. This local club was founded in the ‘90s by Pat Hansen and now boasts a membership of approximately 50. Their projects range from health and nutrition to education.
Education is known to be the key to gender equality, which, the Soroptimist International website states, has yet to be achieved anywhere in the world. Soroptimist of Friday Harbor, working locally toward that goal, offers thousands of dollars in scholarships for high school girls attending a vocational or trade school, college or university. They also offer awards for women studying at the undergraduate level or vocational/technical /trade schools, both the “Live Your Dream” and “Continuing Education” awards. The Fellowship Award assists women studying at the graduate school level.
Islanders are likely familiar with the Cancer Treatment Transportation program, providing ferry tickets to cancer patients and their caregivers for travel to the mainland for treatment. This helps to ease a family’s financial burden during a stressful time. They also partner with San Juan Eagles to provide flights to Skagit Valley or Bellingham appointments.
With food security an increasing and ongoing issue, Soroptimists collaborate with the Department of Health to support “Fresh Bucks” — a program that doubles the amount spent on fruits and vegetables at the Food Co-op and the farmers market. They also collaborate with Nourish to Flourish — a group of community leaders who meet to understand hunger issues on San Juan Island and provide information, education and resources to enable food security. They also work closely with both the Friday Harbor Food Bank and the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center on community nutritional needs.
The Soroptimist Women’s Emergency Fund provides assistance to any woman resident of San Juan County to address a one-time problem for which other resources are unavailable. Women in need are identified through referrals from local community resource centers.
Soroptimist provides annual financial assistance to Safe San Juans and to the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, and other annual or occasional projects are also supported to assist the local community, always with a primary focus on the needs of women and girls.
Learn more by visiting https://www.sifri.org/.
