Nominations for local women who have been outstanding volunteers in the community are due for the annual Women in Service luncheon hosted by the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita.

Nomination forms have gone out to more than 40 local community organizations asking non-profit groups to nominate their outstanding volunteers.

Completed nominations are due by Jan. 16, and the winner of the Carmen Sarro Community Service Award will be presented at the annual Zonta Women in Service Celebration on April 9. All nominees will be guests of Zonta at the luncheon and will be recognized, along with their nominating organization, before the final winner is announced.

The “Carmen Sarro Award for Improving the Status of Women Through Community Service” honors longtime Zonta member Carmen Sarro, who died in 2003.

During her life, Sarro was honored for her dedication to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital volunteer activities, to the Canyon Theatre Guild, to the Boys and Girls Club and to the City of Santa Clarita. In 1985, Sarro was selected as “Woman of the Year.” Sarro was a member of the local Zonta Club for more than 25 years. During that time, she served as president two times, led the area clubs as director, and served the district as secretary.

“This will be the 32nd year that Zonta has given a community service award, and since 2004 it has been designated as the Carmen Sarro Award, to remember her for much more than her service to Zonta.” says Jo Ann Rodriguez, co-chair of Zonta’s Women in Service Committee, along with co-chair Mary Ree. “We wanted to honor Carmen in a way that recognizes the scope of her service to the entire community. Through the years, she became an icon for the kind of service that we Zontians seek to emulate as a part of our mission.”

The Women in Service Celebration allows community organizations to recognize women throughout the Santa Clarita Valley who, through their leadership, have made a difference in the community, especially in improving the lives of women. Each participating organization nominates a member, who is honored for her contribution by Zonta. From the nominations, one person will be selected for the Carmen Sarro Award.

This year, Zonta is inviting non-profits to re-nominate an individual who has been nominated in the past but did not receive the Carmen Sarro award. Organizations which work with young people are encouraged to nominate their outstanding young women volunteers, as long as they are 16 years or older.

The celebration event will be a lunch on Saturday, April 9, at Robinson Ranch Golf Club. Nomination forms are available to community organizations online at www.scvzonta.org and clicking on “Events” and then “Women in Service,” or by calling the Zonta message line at (661) 252-9351. Hard copies of the nomination form already were sent to those organizations which received their invitation in the mail in November.

Completed nominations are due by Jan. 16 and individual guest reservations will be available for friends and relatives who wish to attend to support a nominee. Organizations can also order a table for eight guests, which insures that all members of that organization will sit together. Reservation forms will be sent to organizations when they submit a nomination.

Zonta International is dedicated to improving the legal, political, educational, health and professional status of women worldwide. Locally, the club is involved in and supports many community service organizations, both financially and through hands-on volunteer efforts. Service projects include the Girls Robotics program in cooperation with the Boys & Girls Club of SCV, Virginia Wrage Memorial grants to mature women changing occupations or entering a new career following a life-altering event, free LifeForward workshops helping local women with life and career skills, advocacy programs to combat domestic violence, and community grants to local non-profits which share Zonta’s mission of improving the lives of women.