SI of Osoyoos

Charter Year: 1986

SI Osoyoos is located in the heart of the Okanagan wine country. We have a strong and diverse group of women who have fun, work hard and are well known in the community for their support of Transition House; literacy programs; bursaries and scholarships.

Our major fundraising activities include November’s Annual “Chez Femme Dinner and Fashion Show”, in early March, we sponsor the annual Soroptimist Home and Leisure Show in Penticton; and we host the Sunny Osoyoos.com community website. A tradition with us for many years, our Rocking Horse Raffle provides financial support for the South Okanagan Women in Need Society, who operate and maintain the Safe House for women and children – tickets are available throughout the month of December.

How many members -- 33 members

Business Meeting Information

Program Meeting Information

Membership Information

Joan Smith (604) 495-6706

Women's Opportunity Award

We give a $1000 WOA award each year and have done for many years. We consider it one of our signature projects. We host the award recipient and her friend at a dinner, and ensure there is an article and picture for the local paper. This year our winner was Shannon Stewart, a single mother from Penticton. Shannon was happy to accept our cheque, as she is attending school.

Violet Richardson Award

This year we had 5 worthy applicants from Osoyoos. The winner was Lauren Sherwood, who will use the $500 to help with college in September. A local store, Unity Clothing and Boardsports, donated $250 worth of products to Alana Slater, the second winner.

Signature Project

Our community website, sunnyosoyoos.com, is our main fundraiser and it's in the 4th year in operation, having just completed an extensive facelift and upgrade. Members sell "pages" for $50 a year including, one picture and links to their own sites. There is a wealth of information on Osoyoos and it has been of real interest to locals and people planning to visit or move to our area. We are able to donate approximately $3000 - $5000 annually to local projects from this source.

Chez Femme Dinner and Fashion Show

Chez Femme Dinner and Fashion Show is our second main fundraiser. It is considered our signature project because of it's high profile in town. Tickets sell out early and everyone looks forward to finding out who we will recognize with our Women's Recognition Award. We get excellent coverage from our local newspaper for this project. We donate approximately $2500 - $3000 to projects from this event.

An elegant Fashion Show that sells out each year. It is THE event for this community-minded town. All the members are involved: as hostesses, wait staff, or checking coats and modelling. The "merchant" tables around the room help ease those Christmas shopping blues. An event that is thoroughly enjoyed by all!

2007 Service Projects

Cash Donations

• $1000 Bursary to an Osoyoos Secondary Grad student
• $1000 for a Women's Opportunity Award
• $1500 to the local Safe Home
• $1000 to help pay the airfare for a new family from Africa who moved to Osoyoos.

Hands on Service

• $1500 plus one day of service to allow the Osoyoos Food Bank to be open an extra day in January. This has been done for many years.
• Christmas gifts to each resident of Country Squire Lodge, a residential care facility in Osoyoos.
• Comfort back packs for children and mothers who stay at the Safe Home. 20 have been used during the year, so we will be making more.

New Project

• Comfort Bags for children entering and mothers leaving our newly opened South Okanagan Safe Home
• We hope to have 10 children's packs and 5 mother's packs ready to go by May 200

Osoyoos

Welcome to Osoyoos - Canada's only desert!

Osoyoos is a unique, vibrant community, in the heart of Desert Wine Country! The lifestyle that Osoyoos offers would be very difficult to duplicate elsewhere in Canada. Our semi-arid climate produces very hot, dry days in the summer and very mild days in the winter. Also, we boast of the warmest fresh water lake in Canada.

To the fantastic weather, we add affordable housing, convenient medical facilities, a quaint shopping experience, excellent education facilities and leisure activities for all ages -- plus 33 women who are making a difference in Osoyoos.