About Zonta Club of St. Cloud
Zonta Club of St Cloud was chartered on November 9, 1950, with 21 members. Our major local service focus began with scholarships. Although we continue to support education and literacy; Zonta’s fundraisers provide support for Central Minnesota including:
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Anna Marie’s Alliance, a shelter for victims of domestic violence;
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Scholarships for non-traditional students; GEDs, women pursuing careers in business, and awards to young women active in public affairs; STEM Scholarships for women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics;
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LSS Crisis Nursery, Free 24/7 Care for Children/Support for Families or parents dealing with personal stress, housing problems, divorce, or other issues;
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Minnesota Sexual Assault Center, 24-hour crisis intervention agency providing direct services to people affected by any form of sexual violence. The Center’s purpose is to offer non-judgmental, confidential, free, direct services to victims of sexual assault, their partners, families, coworkers, and friends;
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Terebinth Refuge, a Christ-centered shelter and safe home that brings hope, healing services, and freedom to sexually exploited and trafficked women;
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Resources for partnering with other local organizations on initiatives which empower women and children.
Recent local service and advocacy activities include:
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Cook and serve meals at Anna Marie’s Shelter
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Provide duffle bags with clothing and personal grooming items for victims of human trafficking
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Participate in “Take Back the Night”, "Walk Together 5K", "Earth Day Cheer Zones", partner organization events and more!
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Advocate through the “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” international project
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Provide financial support to area resources for Women and Girls.
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Support District 7’s international projects
Top fundraising events include:
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Zonta Christmas House (November annually)
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Kayaking for a Kause (August annually)
We are a part of Zonta District 7, Area 3.
About Zonta International
Zonta International envisions a world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.
Zonta International is a global organization of over 30,000 professional women in 1200 Zonta Clubs in 67 countries and geographic areas. Zonta members are dedicated to empowering women worldwide through Service and Advocacy.
The first Zonta club was comprised of five women whose mission was to create a strong network of women in executive positions who would work to take their rightful place in the professions next to men. The first 600 members were among the 4 first generation of college-educated women, the first generation of North American women to vote, and a part of the growing legion of women entering the workforce.
Zonta became international with the organization of the first European club, the Zonta Club of Vienna, Austria in 1930. Since 1919, Zonta members have dedicated themselves to provide financial support to improve the lives of women and girls, pushed for gender equity in employment, and advocated for equal rights. In 1938, Zonta launched the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Program (to honor and in memory of our member, Amelia Earhart). Now we issue 35 of these $10,000 scholarships a year and past recipients include astronauts and some of our top scientists. Other scholarships include the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships (12 for $7,000 each) and the Young Women in Public Affairs (10 for $4,000 each).
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