The power of finding your voice at an early age is inspiring to us all.
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Milena: Building a Path for Herself and Her Children
This is part of our series celebrating the award winners for 2026.
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Nagham Alyousef: Leading with Strength, Compassion and Purpose
This is part of our series celebrating the award winners for 2026.
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Khatira Daryabi: Courage, Education and Her Freedom Story
This is the first of our series celebrating our award winners for 2026.
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Our Annual Awards Event
On March 28th, we celebrated our award recipients and meet members of our club. Here's how it went!
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Growth and Purpose
Reflections on Growth and Purpose: Annelise van der Veen’s Journey Through the Soroptimist House for Women Project At HAVAN’s Agents of Change: Women Building Women event on October 16, Annelise van der Veen of Purpose Driven Development, shared how her work on the Soroptimist House for Women became both a professional milestone and a deeply personal journey. Initiated by Soroptimist International of Vancouver, this project continues to inspire collaboration and mentorship in the construction and development community. Annelise spoke about her first mentor, Carla Guerrera, whose vision to help non-profit organizations navigate development projects became the foundation of Purpose Driven Development’s mission. When Annelise first met Carla, she saw…
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Congratulations to Maryam, Halie and Kerri: Recipients of the Soroptimist International of Vancouver’s Live Your Dream Award 2024
Maryam Maryam is a trailblazer, both in her home country of Afghanistan and now here in Canada. A dedicated advocate for women’s rights and education, she came to Canada under refugee status after securing support from a UBC professor amidst political upheaval. Despite arriving with little more than her passport, Maryam has rebuilt her life with remarkable determination. She is now completing her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Commerce at UBC, while supporting her entire family—three siblings and two parents—through three part-time jobs. Fluent in four languages, including English which she began learning upon arrival in Canada, Maryam is driven to succeed in the fintech…
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Historic Groundbreaking: Soroptimist International of Vancouver Unveils First-Ever Women-Designed Affordable Housing Project in North America
Soropitimist Housing Committee members: Carla Busnardo (left), Janet Law (center), Lenore Riddell (second from the right) December 2, 2023 (Soroptimist International of Vancouver) A group of women from seven Soroptimist clubs in Western Canada, representatives from three levels of government, BC Housing, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the project development company gathered at the site of 550 West 13th Avenue (formerly 465 West 13th Avenue) on Friday, December 1st, 2023. They were there to cheer and celebrate the groundbreaking event for the first-ever women-designed and developed affordable housing project in North America. Since 1926, Soroptimist International of Vancouver has served local community to support and improve…
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Tracy, Caitlyn and Rosalie – Recipients of the Live Your Dream Award 2023
Tracy Tan Tracy is our first-place winner for the Live Your Dream Award. A single mother of a 3-year-old son, Tracy immigrated to Canada from China ten years ago. She has faced considerable challenges – learning a new language, leaving an abusive relationship and obtaining permanent residency status. Currently working on a Dental Technology degree from Vancouver Community College, she is determined to stand on her own feet and provide for her son who she is raising to be proudly Canadian. Caitlyn Jacques Caitlin has overcome tremendous odds. She has experienced extreme trauma, including relationship violence, and is raising raising two young children (3 and 5 years old) completely…
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Violet Richardson Award 2022 First Place Recipient – Catherine Diyakonov
Catherine DiyakonovLord Byng Secondary SchoolViolet Richardson Award (2022) Recipient Thank you so much, Soroptimist International of Vancouver, for the Violet Richardson Award! I am incredibly honoured to be recognized by an organization that enables women to reach their full potential. In grade 9, I founded the Girls Will Stay Initiative as a club in my school with the mission to help girls stay educated, healthy, and sheltered on both local and international levels through fundraisers and community outreach events. We hoped to encourage women to stay in underrepresented careers and to fight back against any gender stereotypes they may face. When the Girls Will Stay Initiative launched, no more than…
