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About Us: Our Bridgeport club was founded in 1992, and is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas which was founded in 1921. Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. A 501(c)(3) organization, Soroptimist relies on charitable contributions to fund its programs. Local members join with almost 100,000 Soroptimists in more than120 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women. Soroptimist International has consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council, which oversees U.N. activities promoting human rights. In addition to sponsoring the awards programs, our club has participated in community programs focused on various health and human service issues for women and girls, such as the Center for Women and Families, Mi Casa/My Home, Women and Men’s Health Project, Project Courage, and Local Soup Kitchens. For more information about our mission and programs, please visit our website www.soroptimist.org

In 1953 Louise Dana helped establish La Piccola Casa di San Antonio in Rome, Italy, to provide care and education for girls orphaned by World War II. Fifty years later, Italy is a wealthy country, and there is no longer a need for the orphanage. Rather than abandon this important mission, our focus was redirected to Africa and our name was changed to the African Orphans Foundation. The African Orphans Foundation became officially incorporated into Africa in 2003 and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Since 2004 we have provided education, food, clothing, and shelter for orphaned girls in Africa. Over the years we have continued to grow and expand and are currently operating in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The need for support in Africa continues to be great, but corruption is also quite prevalent. AOF has taken extensive steps toward securing the funds that we allocate to our orphans. In most cases our program begins with a local 'sponsor' who already lives in Africa and personally knows of honest and devoted guardians within the community who are already caring for orphaned girls, but who are in need of financial assistance. We can offer such support. We have defined a guardian as an organization, such as an established orphanage, or an individual, such as a relative, but not the child’s biological parents. Through our sponsors, we are able to verify that the orphan is receiving adequate care and that the guardian will use the money for the child's direct welfare. Additionally, because the sponsors are local, we are able to fund opportunities that might not ordinarily receive charity because of their small size, geographic location, or grassroots origins. AOF does not promote political or religious activities of any kind and therefore abstains from funding religiously affiliated institutions or organizations, regardless of their level of care. Additionally, we have also taken precautions to ensure that our sponsors do not have any financial ties to the guardian or the orphan.

Our purpose is to reduce poverty, bring hope and solidarity to poor communities or individuals in France and worldwide. We bring assistance to families, children and young people but also to the most vulnerable (homelesses, migrants, prisoners etc.). We fight against isolation, help them to find employement and we ensure their social reintegration. We provide emergency responses but also long term support, development aid and we work on the causes of poverty. The action of Secours Catholique finds all its meaning in a global vision of poverty which aims at restoring the human person's dignity and is part and parcel of sustainable development. To do so, six key principles guide this action, both in France and abroad: Promoting the place and words of people living in situations of poverty Making each person a main player of their own development Joining forces with people living in situations of poverty Acting for the development of the human person in all its aspects Acting on the causes of poverty and exclusion Arousing solidarity The actions of Secours Catholique are implemented by a network of local teams of volunteers integrated into the diocesan delegations and supported by the volunteers and employees of the national headquarters. On an international level, Secours Catholique acts in cooperation with its partners of the Caritas Internationalis network. Key figures of Secours Catholique: 100 diocesan or departmental delegations 4,000 local teams 65,000 volunteers 974 employees 2,174 reception centres 3 centres : Cite Saint-Pierre in Lourdes, Maison d'Abraham in Jerusalem, Cedre in Paris 18 housing centres managed by the Association des Cites of Secours Catholique 162 Caritas Internationalis partners 600,000 donors Every year Secours Catholique encounters almost 700,000 situations of poverty and receives 1.6 million people (860,000 adults and 740,000 children). This daily mission led in the field by the local teams and delegations, with the support of national headquarters, pursues three major objectives which aim at exceeding the distribution action and limited aid: Receiving to reply to the primary needs (supplying food and/or health care aid, proposing accommodation, establishing an exchange and a fraternal dialogue, etc) Supporting to restore social ties (bringing together people in difficulty with an aim to reinsertion, encouraging personal initiatives and collective projects, establishing a mutual support helper-receiver of help relationship, etc) Developing to strengthen solidarity (proposing long lasting solutions, establishing a follow-up over the long term, encouraging collective actions carried out by people in difficulty etc.)

Libraries Without Borders is an international nonprofit that expands access to information, education and cultural resources to vulnerable populations around the world. Our interventions address the structural causes of economic and human underdevelopment, reduce the digital divide, and promote cultural resilience. By focusing on the curation and customization of educational materials, along with the logistics and security involved with delivery, storage and construction of learning spaces, we have been able to develop innovative programs, create and re-envision library spaces and support librarians in over 25 countries. Most recently, we received the Library of Congress' International Literacy Award (2016) and won the Google Impact Challenge (2015). We advocate the idea of the library as a toolbox for communities to disseminate knowledge, promote social harmony, accompany the least fortunate, and ultimately, pursue human and economic development. We work in five areas of intervention: 1. EDUCATION LWB establishes libraries and information resource centers in universities and schools. This support manifests itself in the donation of materials, technical equipment, texts, and multimedia and electronic resources. LWB also provides support to teachers in their education responsibilities by putting in place educational resource centers as well as creating educational digital content. 2. INFORMATION AND CULTURE LWB supports the development of structures providing access to books, information and culture in developing countries. LWB enters into partnerships with libraries to help them develop their textual and digital resources and set up quality cultural programs. LWB also accompanies the creation of cultural projects for specific and disadvantaged groups such as visually impaired persons, prisoners and refugee populations. 3. CAPACITY BUILDING LWB initiates innovative specialized resource projects to reinforce the capacities of specific groups such as professionals from the medical or justice sectors. In facilitating access to verified and quality-controlled information, LWB accompanies their daily work in servicing their communities as well as their scientific research. 4. CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE LWB assists in the conservation and promotion of local written or oral heritage through the creation of specialized structures (libraries, cultural centers) and the training of personnel in these professions. Within the framework of promoting local knowledge and supporting publishers in developing countries, LWB also promotes the diffusion of local literature. 5. CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP LWB works alongside cultural entrepreneurs to design innovative and sustainable economic models. By setting up income-generating activities and training in management strategies, libraries are re-invented as social and cultural entrepreneurs with major economic benefits for their communities.

The world's poorest children are at highest risk of the world's most expensive injuries -- burns and amputations. These sudden, life-changing trauma injuries can happen in a second without warning but require a lifetime of support. The world has ample resources in the form of medical care, rehabilitation therapy, and psychosocial support for trauma survivors, but it is not getting to the children who need it most. HandReach is working to bring together the best hands in the world to promote healing, rehabilitation, and the full development of human potential among the world's poorest and most badly-injured children. HandReach works at three levels: 1) Individuals: We facilitate the sharing of best practices across countries and institutions by educating clinicians, therapists, parents, and healers of all kinds. We also work to bring acute, reconstructive, and psychosocial care to children who are in great need of surgery or rehabilitation therapy that their families cannot possibly afford. 2) Institutions: We facilitate international clinics, sponsor training, develop technological resources, and arrange for the donation of needed equipment and supplies so that institutions can maximize their ability to treat complex injuries and promote full rehabilitation for children, regardless of income. 3) Society: We advocate for the needs of the poor to promote greater access to medical care, education, safer products, building materials, and work practices, and a place in society that includes greater access and acceptance for people with physical differences. We are working to develop a free international database of best practices in pediatric burn care and orthopedic rehabilitation that allows doctors and therapists to consult across the world on cases. This online resource database will be readily translatable into any language and provide short, detailed videos that address various aspects of excellent burn and orthopedic care -- from skin grafting to splinting to prosthetics to psychological support for children and families. If a child is burned in China, for instance, her doctor can provide details about the case, consult live expert clinicians internationally, and be directed to easily downloadable videos in Chinese to share with staff and the patient's family. HandReach's work would then be to spread the word of this database and foster face-to-face contact between clinics worldwide. HandReach's dream is for there to be nowhere in the world a child can be injured that is out of reach of excellent medical care and psychosocial support.

The Paul Chester Children's Hope Foundation (PCCHF) is a registered 501(c)(3) charity that provides medical assistance to children and families in developing countries, giving them a chance to live productive lives through well-conceived medical interventions. We perform reconstructive surgery (i.e. club foot and cleft palate repair, burn scar revision, ear tubes, eye surgery, etc.) and work to arrest preventable, curable diseases (e.g. trachoma, glaucoma). The foundation provides highly specialized medical assistance to individuals and families in developing countries where such services are unavailable due to logistics or economic circumstances. The foundation harnesses the expertise of medical professionals and local agencies to identify opportunities for maximum social impact, and then funds and completes the medical or surgical interventions deemed most viable. The PCCHF core base is made up of volunteers - both medical and administrative, which vary from 50-200 in any given year. On the organizational side, the small group is made up of 5-7 dedicated individuals who meet regularly to discuss, plan and pilot missions. Our medical volunteers coordinate, and execute the missions with the assistance of logistics volunteers and in-country counterparts who have requested our assistance. A typical mission takes place over ten days with a team of medical professionals and organizers in collaboration with officials from the host country. The number of surgeries performed is directly linked to funding, number of volunteers and the capacity of the local hospital. For example, a 2003 mission to Ecuador resulted in 110 successful surgeries, with a team of 20 foreign medical volunteers. Safe passage for supplies and staff was provided by the consul general and the first lady of Ecuador. The medical procedures provided largely addressed disfiguring conditions that have a tremendously negative impact on the livelihood of the afflicted individual.

The Cazale Community and Cultural Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people in Haiti to achieve their full potential. We believe that every child deserves access to high-quality education, extracurricular activities, and a safe and supportive community. Our mission is to enhance positive social interactions and build self-esteem and confidence among Haitian youth through a range of programs and services. We provide tutoring and year-round extracurricular activities at our after-school center in Cazale, which serves over 200 students in elementary and middle school every day with the help of 1 director, 1 administrator, 5 teachers, and 2 student aids. Our center is open after-school from 2 pm to 7 pm on weekdays and from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays, offering access to a library, English classes (ESL) , music lessons, and a range of other activities, including board games, dance, arts, computer workshops, and sports. We also provide students with access to excursions outside of Cazale. In addition, we collaborate with youth in New York to host summer camps for about 200 Haitian youth every year. This summer camp builds off the topics discussed during the after-school program, including promoting community service, health and hygiene, self-esteem, and the overall goal of loving your neighbor as yourself. We also host a yearly CCCC Genie summer contest on the radio, where contestants compete in a Jeopardy-like game and can receive prizes if they place in the top four. Our long-term goal is to expand our reach and impact by establishing community centers in as many communities as possible throughout Haiti. We envision ourselves as the "YMCA" of Haiti, providing a safe and supportive space for young people to learn, grow, and thrive.

Feed The World's mission is to empower poor smallholder farm families to feed themselves and provide for the future through sustainable farming. Guiding Principles - Seeds of Dignity and Hope are planted in the hearts of our smallholder farm families as they work together to provide for themselves and build a better future. Transparency & Accountability means that we will do exactly what we promise to do in the communities we serve and that we will be open and honest with our donors in communicating how funds are being used. Lasting Self Reliance is achieved as families obtain sufficient knowledge and education, manage resources wisely, and prepare for the future so that they will continue to thrive after our support ends. Sustainable Farming is practiced by smallholder farm families as they plan, plant, and harvest food for themselves and their livestock, while building human capacity to recognize and enhance the efficient use of their natural resources. Nutrition & Income are the core benefits to smallholder farm families as they grow and produce foodstuffs that provide for a nutritionally balanced diet on an economically sustainable basis. Scientifically Proven Methodology guides the implementation of agricultural best practices with our smallholder farm families and on our demonstration farms. We also support further scientific research through partnerships with universities, governments, and other non-governmental organizations (NGO's). Mutual Respect is the goal of our in-country agronomists, nutritionists, and animal scientists as they interact with smallholder farm families, seeking to understand the "why" behind traditional practices, and always exploring new possibilities. Training & Education in sustainable farming, nutrition, food preparation, and hygiene are key to ensuring that lasting self reliance is achieved by smallholder farm families. Honoring Culture means that our programs work within the local cultural framework to empower and educate smallholder farm families without imposing an outside culture on them. Family Focus involves both women and men in all aspects of decision making, training, and education; and keeps children and parents united and working together on their land. Feeding the Spirit means that while Feed the World does not identify itself with one particular religion or belief system, we honor the spirituality of all human beings and serve all program participants irrespective of their beliefs or social station. Pay It Forward means that we expect our smallholder farm families to pass on their seeds, stock, and knowledge to other families in need once they have successfully provided for themselves.

Mavi Kalem was formed at the aftermath of the 1999 earthquake, and founded in 2000, to respond the needs of the earthquake affected and migrated communities in particular of the disadvantageous groups of women and children in health and education. Since then, it has been implementing projects mainly assisting women and children since its establishment. Projects involving the empowerment, skill development, health services and information sharing have been implemented throughout 2000-2002 in Düzce area, mainly assisting women and children after the earthquake. Since 2002, Mavi Kalem has been implementing projects and activities concerning; educational support, awareness raising on health standards, awareness raising on domestic violence, psychological support, consultancy on health and legal issues for both local and migrated women and children in Fener/ Balat district in Fatih, Istanbul, addressing the needs of children, women and girls of the local community migrated from all regions of Turkey and since 2014 the Syrian children and women in Fener-Balat were included in its beneficiary group. Activities such as Turkish language courses, socialization activities with local population, help in admissions to schools and other official and administrative actions, and psychological support were provided to Syrian children and women. Mavi Kalem has worked toward the Syrian refugee influx related issues since 2011, by conducting needs assessments and gap analysis in Hatay, Gaziantep and Sanliurfa without-camp populations. Also on the national and international level; women' rights and health rights, children's rights, wide spreading of minimum standards in humanitarian aid, youth exchange programs are included in Mavi Kalem's actions. Dissemination and advocacy for humanitarian assistance standards and principles in disasters, emergencies and migration situations is one of Mavi Kalem's work areas. Since 2001 it has been part of Sphere Project, since 2009 INEE Workgroups and for 2 years now part of CHS Alliance. MAVİ KALEM has held the adaptation of Sphere handbook in Turkish successfully and been in cooperation with Ministry of Health, TRC, municipality health departments for its wide spreading, and implementing training programs. Similarly INEE and CHS basic humanitarian aid principal books have been adapted to Turkish and disseminated at national level by Mavi Kalem. It is one of the founding members of SITAP (Civil Society Disaster Platform, national). Mavi Kalem has organized Women in Disasters and Emergencies Workshop hosting women experts, academics, experienced NGO field workers from humanitarian organizations, NGOs, and women right based organizations in 2016. Gender specific issues, needs, and rights in emergency settings were discussed; field experiences and suggestions for improvement were exchanged toward strengthening and mainstreaming the gender perspective in disaster and emergency response. Mavi Kalem, has also delivered its services and expertise to disaster and emergency or poverty affected locations other than its primary implementation area through partnership with other local organizations, in other districts of Istanbul and other provinces such as during the Van earthquake response. Overall organizational strength and capacity lies within the Mavi Kalem's 17 years of implementation experience with focus on public health and education, disaster, emergency and migration specialization, advocacy of women and girls health rights, mainstreaming gender equality perspective in its implementation, developing and designing projects and programs based on the needs and participation and feedback mechanisms of its beneficiaries, volunteers, and supporters, measuring quality and monitoring and evaluation of impact in action rather than quantity focus, integrity and commitment of Mavi Kalem, at all levels to organization's policies in regards to work ethics, preceding women and girls, and children protection, non-discriminatory approach, preservation of confidentiality and respect for dignity, transparency and accountability, anti-fraud and corruption. Since its foundation Mavi Kalem has been working with international donors and experienced in project budget management, and reporting accordingly. Mavi Kalem's administrative and financial system and its management are executed as per Turkey's finance law and associations' law and regulations. Grant agreements, contracts and partnership agreements are also reflected in its implementation and management. Annually Mavi Kalem goes through financial and administrative auditing of relevant governmental body and also independent financial auditing. Mavi Kalem prioritizes gender equality in the implementation and decision making steps of projects and decides and acts with accountability, transparency, participation and approaches differences equal as principal. Mavi Kalem, being a non-profit civil society organization for which 97% of employees are women, applies positive discrimination to women when recruiting, selecting and determining beneficiaries and target groups to promote gender equality. To eliminate social discrimination during stages of project content, project design and project implementation, working with women is prioritized in determination of the project team and selection of financial experts procured from the affiliated participant organization. In addition to being sensitive to gender discrimination in works and studies, Mavi Kalem acts responsibly and is in favor of vulnerable groups avoiding discirimination based on ethnicity, political views, religious beliefs, sexual identity and race in terms of target groups, beneficiaries and employees. Mavi Kalem does not define itself in politic, religious or ethnical personalities. Freedom, human rights, democratic rights, health rights, public gender equality, women rights, LGBT rights, children's rights and prevention of discrimination are supported. www.mavikalem.org ) In addition to all, Mavi Kalem has started a process of institutionalization at 2015 to improve on its experience in project development and implementation it has built last 18 years and aims to develop and improve its policies based on its long experience.

Africa Schoolhouse (ASH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing quality education, medical care, job training and clean water to rural villages in Northern Tanzania. In order to achieve these goals, ASH works in partnership with communities and the local government to build desperately needed schools, deep wells and medical clinics, creating an environment that enables residents to live full, productive and healthy lives. ASH was founded in 2006 after village elders from Ntyula, Tanzania approached founder Dr. Aimee Bessire with the idea of building a school for their children and a medical clinic for the entire community. Dr. Bessire, who has a decades long relationship with the people of Ntulya, was determined to take action. Within six months, the Africa Schoolhouse board was assembled. ASH broke ground on its first project, the Ntulya Primary School and campus, in July 2008 and completed construction in 2010. President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, personally inaugurated the new school and declared it a model for all rural schools in the country. The villagers talked about how proud they were that the President came to visit the school they had helped to build. Following the request of the Ntulya elders, the organization completed a modern medical clinic the following year, which now serves approximately 4,500 people. ASH continued working with local communities in the region to identify need and completed the renovation of Mwaniko Secondary School and Shilanona Primary School in 2012 and 2014. Improvements at these locations included building a bio-chemistry lab and the installation of the first solar-powered computer lab in Misungwi District. ASH also trained a local work-force to help with the construction and continued maintenance of these projects. ASH's newest project is to construct an all-girls boarding school-the first in Misungwi District. This exemplary school will provide space for 360 girls in Forms 1-4, with the possibility to expand the campus and add another 80 girls in Forms 5-6 as needed in later years. Currently only 1% of Tanzanian girls complete secondary school education. They face a wide range of obstacles to their education, including everything from families who privilege the education of sons over daughters, to girls being married off at young ages, and unsafe journeys to school. One of the largest issues faced by girls is finding a safe place to live while pursuing their education. In this rural area, many girls travel long distances to reach school. Safe passage to and from school is a critical issue. We want to provide a safe living situation for young women to delight in their education. ASH is partnering with Misungwi District to build a much-needed safe haven for girls, empowering them through education to grow into strong, healthy women. In addition to a standard academic curriculum, the school will also promote leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice and care for the environment. The school will create an essential safe space where young women can successfully complete their studies and grow into empowered, independent adults. As with our other projects ASH is collaborating with the local communities, school committee, and Tanzanian government. We are building this school at the request of the local community, who identified this as their greatest need. The school will be staffed and run by the District once completed. The District has selected Florencia Ndabashe to be the school's head teacher. Ndabashe currently leads a co-ed secondary school in Misungwi and brings great energy to her work. She will be a strong leader for the girls school, inspiring her fellow teachers and serving as an excellent role model for young women.

The mission of The Chelly Foundation is to help bring about positive changes in people's lives (and especially childrens' lives) through literacy, education and other means.

To bring hope and change to children & families living in extreme poverty in Africa by empowering the golf community to support transformational programs that holistically enhance the families we serve.