Last Year's Winner: Brooke Larsen

SI SLC celebrated our Violet Richardson winner at our February meeting. Brooke Larsen
from Highland High is our winner this year. Brooke has volunteered at many organizations in Salt Lake but her dedication at Youth Making a Difference reflects her dedication to humanitarian efforts.

YMAD works to create youth leaders that will make a positive difference in their community. She spent ten months in leadership training at YMAD and spent ten days in Baruipur, India partnering with Nishta Organization working to bring education to girls to better the lives of women. The group she traveled with not only paid their own way but gathered and shipped nearly 10 tons of humanitarian aid. The training and education in this poverty stricken village helps to end early marriage and abuse, provide resources for prostitutes and their children and to grannies thrown out of their homes.

The Salt Lake group spent time with the villagers, took the girls to a museum in Kolkata - the first time the girls had left their village. Brooke presented a video she created on her trip to India with the volunteers and children. The happy smiles, laughter and singing reflected the love these Indian people felt towards the youth volunteers.

Brooke is now designing her own local service project designed around helping children and the environment. She's looking at a possible food co-op for low income families and creating field trips for low income children to learn about the natural areas surrounding Salt Lake.

YMAD has college internship programs to travel to India and Brooke wants to take part in this next year. She hopes to help the villagers sustain themselves during the months they cannot farm. She is an outstanding young lady. She devotes so much of her time in the area of service to children because she believes they are the carriers of future generations. Her family and friends joined Brooke at dinner and the presentation. Our club presented Booke with a VR certificate, lovely flowers and $500 to use as she wishes. We are very proud of Brooke and hope someday she becomes a Soroptimist.

To submit an application:
Please complete the Violet Richardson Award emailable application form
and BY DECEMBER 1, 2011.
 
For more information, please contact
Kathy Franchek (801-608-5721) or Janette Kozinski (801-560-3254).