Chartered on July 19, 1922, Soroptimist International of Los Angeles has made many contributions to the status of women and girls in Los Angeles. These include the operation of a residence for women students at a local university; the donation of an apartment at the Los Angeles Downtown Women's Center; and the award, for the last 58 years, of an annual fellowship to a woman completing her graduate education. Currently the club owns and operates, with a qualified partner, a second step shelter for women and children who are victims of violence in the home.