Dear Susan J Roper,
I hope this message finds you well.
On behalf of Uzima Women Relief Group International, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a recipient of the Uzima Women Relief Group International Award in recognition of your outstanding contributions to the community.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with you at the 2025 Uzima Annual Fundraising Dinner – International Women’s Day Celebrations on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Congratulations once again!
Best regards,
Rebah Sijenyi
Digital Marketing
Uzima Women Relief Group International
100 Consilium Place, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M1H3E3 ....... Please Read more....
Susan received the award from Uzima Womens Relief Group International, it is called The Scarborough Community Impact Award. She was very suprised and honoured to be considered and to receive it.
This is what she wrote.
I have lived in Scarborough since my parents & I immigrated to Canada over 71 years ago. I went to elementary & high school in Scarborough, then I left for a year to attend Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. I met my husband who was a Scarborough native so naturally when we got married we lived in Scarborough. My children were all born and raised in Scarborough and I have lived here ever since. I have always been very involved with my community.
I started my ''volunteer career'' as a parent of children in the public school system. I was involved in their school as a helper in the classroom, a part time librarian, planning and organizing events at the school, as a trip supervisor, as a fundraiser, and as a member and chair of the parent council at elementary & high schools. I also had foster children and I was a strong advocate for them as well. Frequently my children's friends no matter how young or old they were I would have requests for help with concerns with their parents, boyfriends/girlfriends, school, health issues, sex issues, you name it I am asked for help and I always seem to be able to find a solution. It still happens frequently with friends and acquaintences.
I joined Scarborough Bluffs Rotary in 2003 and felt as if I had found my calling. While with the Bluffs Club I served as secretary, president and speaker coordinator. I am currently a member of the Scarborough Twilight R.C. I am secretary & I was president just before & during COVID. I am currently an Assistant Governor for four of the six Scarborough clubs.
In 2015 all the Rotary clubs in Scarborough helped form the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization aka SCRO. We advocate for Scarborough with the City of Toronto, the provincial and the federal governments. In 2021 SCRO organized a forum to petition the federal government not to reduce Scarborough's electorial ridings from 6 to 5 and we were successful. When I joined SCRO I became the communications chair, a position I still hold. Every month I put out an e-newspaper to approximately 1000 subscribers with different events, happenings and news about Scarborough.
In 2016 I joined a group of women called Scarborough Women of Philanthropy. The initiative started in 2014 because Scarborough General was in desperate need of a new breast screening clinic and as you know the community is required to raise most of the money before the province adds their share. We needed to raise $100,000.00 and they wat we did was to have a gala in November, we called it Sip Shop & Celebrate Women as it was for the breast clinic. (now it is just Sip Shop) . It took us two years to help raise the money for the breast screening clinic but we did it!!
We have continued the gala every year at the end of November to raise money for the three Scarborough hospitals, it is often a different project every year.. It is the premier event of the holiday social season. Approximately 350 women attend, we have 20 vendors, fabulous food provided by Centennial College students, doctors & speakers all talking about different aspects of women's health. It is lots of fun & everyone who has ever been always comes again!!
The last two years we have been raising money for the new North Pine Diagnostic Imaging Centre at the General site which just opened on Monday February 10th 2025.
Our goal is to raise a minimum of $100,000 every year and from year three we have raised that amount and much more!! .
I am also a member of the Bomb Girls Legacy Foundation Committee. We are petitioning the City of Toronto to have the area around Eglinton Ave East & Warden Aves, (by the water tower), declared a historical site to commemorate the GECO munitions factory that was there during W.W. 11 and also to preserve the commercial buildings that still exist on the site.
When Covid happened several food banks had to close down. The ones still operating especially the smaller ones were not getting the food donations they required. I called all the Scarborough dry goods manufacturers to see if they would donate their ''over runs'' My husband had been in the dry food manufacturing business for 40 years so I knew there is always extra made with each order. The manufacturers call me when they have extras and it is dropped off at a central location & then food banks come, pick it up and then it is distributed to their clients. I continued it after the pandemic was over as there is always a need for food. This way there isn't any waste.
As I seem to be the ''go to person'' if you need anything found, located, checked out, or a reference or referral to anyone or anything my friends have always called me when they have items they are no longer needing in their own homes and in a few cases when their parents have passed and the entire house contents need to be cleared out. . It doesn't matter what it is whether household items such as linens, furniture, kitchen appliances, kitchen items, clothes, shoes, knick knacks, toys, books etc. Now that all my friends are downsizing there is always things that are in need of a new home. Everything I donate to either the womens and family shelters, an unwed mothers home, groups that help women leaving the penal system, immigrants, or families, students or anyone else who is in need.
