SOSA in the News

Covered that year's six honorees, including volunteers supporting orphanages in Kenya and Armenia, a fund for Embassy local staff medical care in Rangoon, and LGBT-rights advocacy in Chennai — presented by then-Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

Profiled that year's six SOSA winners, from a volunteer-run English program for Slovak diplomatic police to an HIV/AIDS support network in Chile, and traced the award back to its founding 25 years earlier under Secretary James Baker and Susan Baker.

Quoted Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom and AAFSW's Mette Beecroft on that year's winners, alongside firsthand reflections from several award recipients on starting volunteer projects from scratch at post.

Covered the 2019 ceremony, with Susan Pompeo — then AAFSW's Honorary President — calling the program's volunteers some of the best ambassadors of what America represents abroad.

Profiled the 2021 cohort of SOSA award recipients, recognizing Foreign Service family members for volunteer service at posts worldwide.

Reported on the 32nd annual ceremony, with Secretary Blinken's video remarks and firsthand accounts from Meredith Wiedemer's refugee-support work in Moldova and Debra Stock's volunteer effort for Afghan evacuees in Qatar.

The U.S. Department of State highlighted the extraordinary contributions of Foreign Service family members whose volunteer service strengthens communities around the world and advances American values through people-to-people engagement.

Profiled the 2023 cohort, from an animal-welfare campaign in Mongolia to a bicycle-refurbishing project for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

State Magazine profiled the 2023 SOSA cohort, celebrating Foreign Service volunteers who made a measurable difference in communities around the world.