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.
