Submitted by Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor

To broaden the actions in the Soroptimist mission of improving the lives of women and girls, Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor has expanded its Women’s Emergency Fund from San Juan Island to San Juan County.

The Women’s Emergency Fund provides emergency assistance to any woman whose other options for assistance have been exhausted. The assistance can solve a one-time problem or provide a one-time solution to a chronic problem. The program often provides for slightly unusual situations that can’t easily be covered by other programs. It was recently reported that over 40 percent of U.S. households could not come up $400 in cash in case of an emergency or unexpected expense. Too often such events can tip a household into crisis. The Women’s Emergency seeks to prevent that from happening when there is nowhere else to turn.

To access the fund, a woman must be referred to the Soroptimist Board of Directors by a social service agency, a church or a service club. In practice, most referrals come via the family or the community resource centers. The referring body verifies the bona fides of the assistance request, the cost of the remedy and that other sources of assistance are exhausted. If the request is approved, Soroptimist directly pays the vendor for the approved services or goods.

More detailed information about the program can be found on the website www.sifri.org under “projects.” Soroptimist welcomes donations specifically earmarked for the Women’s Emergency Fund. General inquiries or questions about the program may be sent to sifridayharbor@soroptimist.net.