Santa Clarita Valley Zonta Club’s May business meeting featured the award of $7,750 in grants to five local organizations who assist women and children, and $2000 in scholarships to two young women. Through their efforts, the recipients strive to improve the status of women and children through health, education, and service.
The Young Women in Public Affairs $1,000 scholarship recipient, Jesica Sathy, has demonstrated leadership skills, community service activities and international awareness. Jesica, a student at Valencia High School, is a member of the Human Rights Watch Organization Student Task Force, which advocates for child rights and social justice worldwide. She has organized fundraisers to purchase mosquito nets to fight malaria in Africa, and the Mumbai India Pollution Project – biodegradable waste processer update for the Shatabdi hospital. Jesica has been active in local activities such as Relay for Life and planting trees at Newhall Elementary School. Her goal is to become a doctor and participate in Doctors without Borders.
The Jane M. Klausman recipient, Krista McCutcheon, a graduate student at Master’s College will be presented $1,000 at the June Business Meeting. After receiving a degree in Multi-Media Technology and Communications from Cedarville University in Ohio, she owned a marketing business and produced marketing and video products for Non-Governmental Organizations. Since 1999, a non-profit career in over 20 countries involved working with medical clinics, literacy programs, sex-trafficking prevention – to name a few. She has volunteered in Costa Rica at an all-girls orphanage and has helped set precedent in Costa Rican law so foreigners can adopt children. Krista is pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling so that she can better communicate and help women in third world countries.
Through the Community Grants Program, local non-profits received $7,750 for specific programs aimed at improving the lives of women and girls. The recipients are: Boys & Girls Club of SCV – SMART Girls (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) offers two age-appropriate modules to approximately 40 girls ages eight to 12 and 13 to 17. Activities are designed to enhance physical and emotional health through experiential activities.
Carousel Ranch – Go Girl Equestrian Therapy Program offers three partial scholarships for weekly equestrian therapy sessions to special needs daughters of single mothers. The goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of these children; their mothers will receive therapeutic support and financial assistance.
Domestic Violence Center – Volunteer Training approximately 12 volunteers will receive 40 hours of training to become Domestic Violence advocates and assist in starting the process of recovery for clients.
Single Mothers Outreach (SMO) – Financial Literacy Training provides 50 low-income single mothers with a 13-week training program taught by Dave Ramsey, renown financial author; purchase 50 training kits for the participants.
SCV Youth Project – Provide campus based support services for seventh and eighth grade adolescent females who are behaviorally or academically at-risk. Services include educational outreach, individual mentoring, case management and support groups to two groups: Girls’ Issues Groups covers relationships, body image, anger management and substance abuse education; Family Issues Group covers family dynamics such as divorce, abuse, parent-youth communication and sibling discord.
For information about Zonta contact Phyllis Walker at 661-251-1172.