Founder Samira Harnish Awarded Ruby Award for Excellence in Women’s Advocacy

The customized solutions and the impact they are having on empowering refugee women were awarded today with a Ruby Award, by the Soroptimist Club of Salt Lake City.

The Ruby Award is given each year to a woman of distinction who has been helping women in our community. This year Samira Harnish received the award at the Soroptimist’s Annual Ruby Award Gala on the 24th of March.

The Soroptimist Club is a worldwide organization with clubs in over 132 countries and 80,000 members (see also www.soroptimistinternational.org and www.soroptimist.org). The local club supports our international activities plus activities in our local community specifically for women and girls.

Samira is honored to be awarded by such an amazing service and philanthropy group as the Soroptimist Club. In her address she explained,

The struggles of refugee women are different from their men. They face the traditional requirements of women — homemaking, childcare, and emotionally enabling their men — but soon realize their families need them to work, to gain skills, and to “get over” their sadness of what they lost, what suffering was forced on them, and help get out of poverty. Getting out of poverty and having a voice means not taking NO for an answer. Women of the World’s customized service is about going to: … the same immigration and housing agencies… the same benefits office… into the schools or business… and talking to the same people over…and over…and over again. Until they get it right.

The community of Salt Lake City is extremely giving and always offers its new neighbors a helping hand. It is amazing being a small nonprofit organization in Salt Lake City as our big-hearted neighbors always want to offer a helping hand.

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