Lutz Receives Ruby Award from Fort Collins Soroptimist

Victoria Lutz Esq., Executive Director of Crossroads Safehouse, is recipient of the local Soroptimist Ruby Award: For Women Helping Women. The award was presented during the annual Soroptimist International of Fort Collins Living Her Dream awards ceremony, February 16th at the Hilton Hotel.

The Soroptimist Ruby Award, formerly the Soroptimist Making a Difference for Women Award, honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women or girls. Their work has had a significant impact, and also inspires and encourages other women.

Lutz meets those standards in her professional life, and relationships with others. She frequently advises women: "Create a career for yourself that will motivate and sustain you psychically and financially! Make a difference in this world!"

Lutz makes a difference. Crossroads Safehouse is the only domestic violence shelter for women and their children in Larimer County and serves approximately 1,000 individuals each year. During her six years at Crossroads Ms. Lutz has created a partnership with the City of Fort Collins for transitional housing for victims, started a federally funded legal services project and is now working on a capital campaign to build a new, innovative, “green” statewide safehouse that will be a national model for other domestic violence programs. In presenting Lutz her award, Carolyn Wade, local Ruby Award Chair commented, “Vicki inspires her staff, the board and those in the community who meet her. She is impassioned for the cause to end domestic violence.”

Ms. Lutz’s name has been submitted to Soroptimist International, Rocky Mountain Region. If selected at region, she will go on to the federation level. The winner of the federation-level Ruby Award will receive a $5,000 donation to the charitable organization of her choice.

Soroptimist of Fort Collins Celebrates 60 Years!

Soroptimist presidents in attendance at 60^th Celebration:

Left to right--Mary Nittman, Judy Robinson, Christine Hutchinson (back), Blanche Magnuson (front), Lois Peltz, Delores Turman, Ann Rutledge, Carolyn Wade, Joan Gladden, Connie Pfeiffenberger, Robanette Catalano, & Karen Omeg (current club president)

Soroptimist International of Fort Collins celebrated 60 years of service on February 16, 2010. Soroptimist’s Living Her Dream Celebration at the Fort Collins Hilton brought past presidents, members of area Soroptimist clubs, award winners, and friends together to celebrate. Eleven past presidents joined the club’s current president, Karen Omeg, to cut the cake. Soroptimist members traveled from Laramie, Scottsbluff, Denver and Colorado Springs to share in the festivities. Barbara Lewis, Governor of Soroptimist’ Rocky Mountain Region was in attendance. Joan Cromer, past Soroptimist International of the Americas President and past Soroptimist International President was an honored guest.

Soroptimist International of Fort Collins was chartered February 25, 1950, by Soroptimist International of Greeley, Colorado. At that time, the City of Fort Collins covered 2.98 square miles and the population was 14,937. There were three traffic lights, all on College Avenue at the corners of Laporte Avenue, Mountain Avenue and Olive Street. Careers for women were primarily as clerks, teachers, nurses and secretaries. Much has changed, but not the club’s focus.

Service was the foundation and purpose of the club in 1950. That is still true. Throughout 60 years, “The Club has reached out to the entire Fort Collins area, other parts of Colorado, across the nation, and around the world through service dollars, donated items, and hands-on projects,” writes Judy Robinson, historian for the club.

Donate Your Gently Used Books Now

We're in our sort room (courtesy of Foothills Mall) and ready to accept your gently used books. Members of AAUW and SIFC will spend the coming weeks cleaning, sorting, and alphabetizing all of the books that you (our valued supporters) donate to this recycling effort. We pride ourselves in orchestrating a quality used book sale and thank you for helping us help others.

To donate, or volunteer, call 482-8210 or 227-1398.

See you at the sale, February 26, 27, and 28th.