Dear Region Leaders, Members, and Visitors to this page,

Our 2017-18 Soroptimist year is off to a wonderful start!  This year, we celebrate our 40th year of service as the Camino Real Region, and our 96th year as an international organization.  As Soroptimists, we are a Region that believes in helping women and girls achieve their dreams.  We are a Region that strives to provide resources and opportunities that help women and girls to reach their full potential.  We believe in gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity, and fellowship.  We strive to “to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.”

This year’s theme is ‘WORKING AS ONE: INVESTING IN DREAMS”.  The 22 clubs in the Camino Real Region work together to meet the needs of disadvantaged women and girls throughout our service areas (which includes communities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties).   We are well known for the impact that we make through our Dream Programs* and through projects that clubs have identified in their local community.  Our 2017-18 goal is to increase our collective impact.  We have challenged ourselves to increase our membership, charter more clubs, and to help more women and girls than we did during our previous year.  If each of our 600+ members affects the life of at least one more person than we worked with last year, we will increase our impact two-fold!   

Last year, a visiting Soroptimist from British Columbia said:  “I am inspired by the idea that you [the Camino Real Region of Soroptimist] help women and girls break down barriers and cross over to a world filled with possibility.  [You] help light the fire of hope, of promise, of dignity, of empowerment, of the chance to live a dream.”  Visiting Soroptimists from Meru, Kenya; Antioch, Turkey; and Nagoya, Japan echo the sentiment expressed above.  Ours is a Region of phenomenal women!  We are legislators, entrepreneurs, homemakers, and educators . . . we are in law enforcement, medicine, technology, and engineering . . . we are from every walk of life imaginable and we have one common goal . . . to help others.

We are community that is not afraid to reach for the stars.  We dare to dream, we invest in dreams, and in doing so, we help others catch their dreams.  Our doors are open to new members because we realize that we can do many more amazing things for more women and girls when we increase our membership.  If you are already a member, please accept our collective impact challenge.  If you are contemplating becoming a member, please contact us.   Together we will focus on making our communities a better place for all women and girls and their families.

*Dream Programs are (1) Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women; and (2) Dream It, Be It! Career Support for Girls.