WOMEN HELPING WOMEN
Soroptimist Club Prague has been cooperating for many years with the civic association Acorus, which helps people suffering by domestic violence with comprehensive professional assistance aimed at overcoming the unfavorable social situation and integrating into everyday life without the presence of violence.
Soroptimist Club Prague supports this association materially and financially, mainly through proceeds from friendly meetings over „A glass of wine“ meetings with popular personalities of cultural and social life.
In June 2013, a project was established based on the long-term cooperation between our club and the ACORUS psycho-social center, combining proven forms of cooperation (ad 1) with a new form of support for victims of violence (ad 2).
1.SIC Prague will continue to support women and children who have found asylum in the ACORUS psycho-social center. This is the following help:
(a) assistance to women with children who have arrived at the shelter without any basic equipment
(b) assistance to women and children who may already leave the shelter and start a new life (materiál
assistance in household equipment)
(c) occasional emergency assistance
d) Christmas presents for children and their mothers who spend Christmas in the ACORUS shelter
2. The Soroptimist Club Prague applied to the European Federation for a grant to support a project joint with the Acorus Center. We received a grant of 3,000 EUR. This grant was intended to support Michaela, who is a client of this center. As Michaela's problems have been addressed by Acorus on an ongoing basis, the grant will continue to be used for similar acute problems of women, who have found themselves in the most distressed institution. Therefore, a special account for health purposes was set up in June 2013, from which it is possible to pay payments related to medical care - such as co-payments for medicines or medical assistance that is not fully covered by health insurance (these, sometimes small amounts, affect women, residing in an asylum center, often significant problems). The specific form of support is always consulted with the director, or ACORUS staff so that it is as efficient as possible.
Michaela's life story: (which inspired us to do this activity): www.acorus.cz/cz/domaci-nasili/pribehy-ohrozenych-osob/pribeh-pani-misi.html
BLUE KEY
The long-term collaboration has been also developing with the school SPMP Blue Key which provides social services to children and adults with mental and combined handicap.
Soroptimist Club Prague monitors activities of this organization and in a flexible way assists financially and materially mainly through gifts of sponsors and donators but also by profits from social events of the Club.
SI club Sondrio, Italy
Our new friendship with members of Italian SI club Sondrio, iniciated in March 2019 by Karolina, Czech living in Italy, continued by the visit of our members in Sondrio in September 2019. However, at the beginning of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic began to spread dangerously, and the whole of Italy was the most affected country in Europe. Desperate reports of the hospital situation and lack of funds came from our girlfriends. We decided to help as soon as possible. We believe that our amount of € 1,700 was also helpful in this situation.
FLOOD ASSISTANCE:
Flood in Moravia - Cítov
Jan Deyl Conservatory - Prague
Help for children affected by the flood - Šenov
Flood assistance - Hejnice
August 2010
New flood in August 2010 hit Northern Bohemia. At the neares meeting of the Club in September financial assistance also in this case was approved. We had been monitoring the situation more than usually because a member of our Club lives in one of the affected towns. She informed us continuously about the situation. Other two members of the Club visited the chosen place – Hejnice near the spa Libverda to identify the most needed 2 families. The collected sum of 70 000 CZK was equally divided between them.
Help for the victims after the tornado
On 21.6. In 2021, we were all hit by a news of a devastating tornado in South Moravia. We decided to respond immediately and raise funds to help specific people with disabilities. In cooperation with the mayor of Lužice, we donated CZK 58,800 to Mr. and Mrs. Vlk as a contribution to the renovation of their demolished family house.